Silent Saint
by Lonessa 8D
Summary: She was merely a girl, a girl who never once spoke a word to another. No one expected the one that blended into the background. They didn't expect her to be a lethal killer that could climb to the top of the game without a single word either. The Silent Saint would be the best and worst thing Julius Little unleashed to the world. *Back from hiatus!*
1. P1: The Best Weapon

Stillwater. One of the most boring and dangerous cities I've ever lived in. If you consider drifting from state to state living, of course.

Gang violence ran rampant in this town, much like others I've been to, but something seemed so… malicious with how these gangs were attacking. It wasn't just about the graffiti tags anymore. If another gang saw you simply _wearing_ another gang's colors, they would shoot on sight, no questions asked. I try to keep to mostly black clothing because of this. I can't wear blue because then I would be identified as a member of the Rollerz. If I wore red, I would be one of the Carnales. Yellow, Vice Kings.

And then purple, my _favorite_ color, I couldn't wear thanks to the Saints.

I resorted to wearing green, second favorite to purple, and even used a thin green ribbon to put my hair up in a fat bun. I just threw on some black leggings and a sleeveless top with a strip of dark green running down the middle. My sneakers were primarily black, though they were rather worn with the amount of use and battering they've went through, and I had small green stud earrings on, though they were just some cheap things I bought from _Bling Bling._ Actually, now that I think about it, I hope I don't look like I'm screaming _rob me, rob me!_

Maybe I should just leave for another city, Steelport maybe. But I've heard of the Syndicate there…

Honestly, I just don't know where to go anymore, or whether or not it's worth worrying over. I have an apartment here, which isn't much to really say, but it's not too shabby, since I managed to fix it up and redecorate. I don't exactly have a means of transportation beyond a bike, and the only weapon to my name happens to be a hunting knife I… uh, _inherited_ , let's just say, so if a gang _does_ decide to throw down, I'm in a bit of trouble.

Only a month and I'm thinking of bolting again…

"Watches! I got some watches!"

I didn't really pay attention to my route at this point, merely running over my options. I mean, eventually someone will find me, and eventually I'll have to disappear all over again, but I'm okay with that. I _expected_ that.

Stupid police. Stupid parents. Stupid _boyfriend_. Ugh!

They should know by now why they can't find me. I just wish I could take a minute to simply rest and enjoy life, if just for a small while. Maybe that's just me fantasizing. Probably. I'm not that lucky.

I shrugged off the watch seller's hand grabbing my attention and shook my head no with a slight gesture to my pockets, shrugging. I'm not _actually_ broke, but it's easier to shake sellers off your tail.

"No cash on ya? Shame. Well, if you ever want one of these high quality watches, you find me here, girl."

A polite head nod and a smile was what I replied with. My hand drifted to the phone in the pouch on my belt, my fingers slipping in to cover it protectively.

One of the streetside girls turned from applying her makeup and pasted on a plastic smile, tanned skin blemish free and brown hair high in a ponytail. The red dress was far to small in both the bust and the butt, making it look like it was squeezing the life out of her.

"Hey baby, I could— oh. Hey there, Chika."

I blinked, taking a closer look at the woman. Chocolate brown eyes and a small beauty mark by her left eye. I've talked with her before. Daniella.

I waved with a slight smile, tapping her arm once. She looked at me with some concern, to which I wanted to bark a laugh at. She always knew I'd be fine.

"Everything okay? No unwanted visitors at the apartment?"

I shook my head no.

"Find a job yet?"

I eased my emerald green eyes off to the side, an embarrassed flush flooding my face. Daniella tisked, running her fingers along her purse.

"Well, I know you're not interested in my line of work, but if you ever change your mind…"

I resisted an eye roll. I was _not_ going to become a prostitute. And besides, before I left, I withdrew _all_ of the money from the bank. At least my parents were useful for something.

Instead, I merely smiled kindly and squeezed her hand, drawing a heart on her palm to show her my appreciation at the thought. Daniella gave me a smile that was plastic yet again, eyes suddenly darting to the side, and I followed her gaze. Color drained from my face. _Vice Kings._

"Man, fuck the Rollerz!"

Three of them, spitting and yelling in front of a Rollerz tag on the side of a building. They looked mad, _furious_ , and even worse, they had _guns_.

Pretty sure my hunting knife wouldn't work in this situation, unless I could teleport of course.

"Levar, you gonna let those bitches disrespect us?"

"Shit, whatchu think?"

The Vice King named Levar began shaking a spray can and spraying golden paint over the royal blue of the Rollerz tag, and I felt my jaw twinge when I saw three figures clad in blue approaching them. Ice formed in my veins, my head became woozy as a sudden rush of adrenaline jolted through me at the prospect of danger, and I turned to Daniella.

 _Go_ , I urged silently, waving my hand in a shooing motion down the sidewalk where the watch guy was not so casually meandering down. Daniella clasped her hands together, knees shaking.

"What about you?"

 _I'll be fine_.

She saw my answer in my eyes, having known me since the very first day I arrived in this degraded city, and nodded after a moment, stumbling on her heels as she hurried away. I crammed myself in the doorway Daniella had been leaning in, watching with curiosity.

"The fuck you think you doin'?" One of the Rollerz spat.

"Jus' being civic minded is all," A Vice King threw out his arms and sassed, a smirk sliding across his lips.

The Rollerz didn't look amused, "That so?"

"Yeah." Levar turned from the graffiti tag. "Some dumbass cracka came along and shit all over this wall, we was just cleanin' it up."

Oh. Oh these guys were so dead.

 _Smack_.

Called it.

The Rollerz and Vice Kings began punching and kicking each other, using baseball bats and the like. Levar sprayed a Roller in the face with his spray can, and threw it at the retreating blue clad gang member.

Then a red car pulled up. With men wearing red bandanas. _Fuck_.

"Hector says _buenas noches_." _That's a gun_!

Although it wasn't directed at me, I covered my head with my hands as bullets zoomed towards the Rollerz and Vice Kings. I heard screaming, heard the Roller that ran before sprinting back, and I suddenly didn't feel too safe in this doorway.

Peeking my eyes open and taking a quick look at where everyone was, I bolted, down the street in the direction I sent Daniella, nearly tripping on the curb and running across the crosswalk—

Squealing tires. _Car!_

The red car containing the Carnales screamed towards me, and just for a moment I froze, eyes bulging wide as I just saw a _car_ , and kept thinking _car_. _Snap out of it!_

I lunged to the side, feeling the very edge of the bumper lightly clip my left knee. A small burst of pain sprouted there, but I think I could manage it. I caught my breath as I peered over at the car that nearly just killed me. _That thing looks like it's going to explode…_

My blood ran cold. A gun cocking.

I felt my hand grip the knife in my pouch, sliding it out as a Vice King pointed his silver pistol at me. I kept my hand behind my back, gripping the sheath tightly. He looked triumphant, but scowled cruelly at me as he said:

"Wrong time, wrong place, girlie."

I watched as his finger began to twitch, and in the very last second, I lunged, hearing a gunshot but no pain. The momentum from my lunge had me plunging my hunting knife into the Vice King's stomach, and I twisted for good measure. Only… the Vice King didn't make a noise. He just kinda… flopped.

And then someone pushed the Vice King off me, a stunned silence enveloping the scene as my knife was still in the Vice King's stomach. His blood had dripped onto my hands, speckles of crimson red on my camisole.

"You okay, playa?"

A chocolate brown hand filled my vision, and I blinked up in surprise as I met kind and soft brown eyes. _He's wearing purple_ …

"Julius, let's move!"

Another man, Caucasian, standing behind Julius. A gun in his hand. _The gunshot_ …

My hand blindly ripped the blade from the Vice Kings stomach as I took the hand of this Julius character, gaping at the two gang members. I was just saved. By the _Saints_.

Julius hauled me up, an arm going around my waist when I felt my knee begin to collapse a little bit, and I saw the other guy, who wore a purple polo, stalking forward and scanning the area with his gun pointed… sideways.

 _Sideways. Straighten it you idiot_.

Funny how I'm criticizing the man that just saved me, but I was never really the grateful type.

A sudden explosion knocked us off kilter, and I felt heat wash up my back before receding again, Julius pulling me practically off my feet while trying to run away from the explosion. _Ah, the perks of being little…_

Julius let me sit propped up on a brick wall, and I nearly flinched away when he began inspecting my slightly injured knee. _What the fuck is going on?_

"That doesn't look so bad, you should be fine," He assured me, and I felt a small, _small_ flare of annoyance go to my head. I _knew that_ , thank you very much.

"That's Troy, you can thank him later." Julius gestured to the man that saved me. He looked anxious.

Troy nodded his head with a slight smile, relaxing more for my sake I suppose. "Hey."

One side of my mouth lifted up as I flicked my hand in the air as a greeting. I wasn't going to thank him, but I was at least going to be friendly.

"The Row ain't safe anymore, girl." Julius reeled in my attention, and I found his voice… calming, somehow. "We got gangs fighting for shit that ain't theirs, and you in the way? They don't care if you're representin' or not."

Hold up… this sounded like a practiced speech…

Troy suddenly looked worried, flicking a nervous glance at me before saying, "Julius, this is no time to recruit."

 _Recruit?!_

"We need all the help we can get, son."

"No we need to get our asses out of here!"

 _Oh my god. Are they serious?!_

"In a minute! Look, the Row's got a problem. Come to the church when you wanna be a part of the solution."

I gaped, and he looked at me seriously before nodding. Snapping my mouth shut, I frowned contemplatively, and he smiled a bit before walking off with Troy. _Join the Saints?_

At first thought I blew it off immediately. The violence demonstrated right here should be enough to sway me from gang life, but then I thought about it. All my time running I've always been defenseless, unable to even own a gun because I didn't want to use my name. All I have is this knife, my phone, and the apartment that I technically don't even own. And the only person that knew me is Daniella, and she didn't even know my name.

I can hold my own in a fight, hence the blade. I knew how to shoot pistols at least. I'm fast. If I wanted… I could probably do it.

And I've killed before.

I took out my phone, grinning a little at the purple case detailed with black swirls. I already had the flags.

 _{Hey Daniella. Are you at the apartment?}_

Not a second after I sent out the text, Daniella answered.

 _{Yes are you okay? Oh my god why on earth did you stay?!}_

 _{I have something to talk to you about. Stay there.}_

At that, I stood, brushed off the dirt and grime from my clothes, and started running.

…

…

…

"You want to do _what?!_ "

I winced at the pitch of Daniella's voice, rubbing my ear tenderly before repeating my movements.

 _:I want to join the Saints:_

"WHY?!"

I rolled my eyes. _:It's a job, isn't it?:_

She glared at me, narrowing her caramel colored eyes and running a hand through her long hair. "That's not the type of job I meant!"

 _:Oh look who's talking about an actual job:_

"Hey!"

 _:Daniella, I'm not very patient for most jobs. I can fight. I can do it:_

She sighed, long and drawn out. "You are not making life easy, Chika."

I shrugged, lounging on the leather couch that was slightly worn around the edges. My life was never easy, so why should it be now?

"How are you even gonna talk with any of them _if_ you join?"

I paused, cocking my head before replying, _:I can write notes, or…:_

"Or…?"

 _:Oryoucouldtranslateforme!:_

My hands moved so fast the words blurred together, and Daniella had to take a moment before replying.

"Uh. No."

 _:Fine then. I'm taking a pen and paper to the church:_

"Are you seriously going through with this? _Just_ because one Saint saves you doesn't mean you're in debt to them for life! Just take the help and be on your merry way!"

 _:I always repay my debts:_

She knew I wasn't joking, and I wouldn't be swayed from my decision. I honestly don't even know why I consult Daniella on this sort of stuff. Maybe it's because we're roomies. Maybe because she's my only friend in this city.

Or, maybe she's the only one that's ever there.

"Alright then… I know I can't change your mind." Daniella sighed, rubbing her face. "Just… try not to get yourself killed. And if you really, _really_ need someone to translate for you, and I mean this has to be a _dire_ fucking emergency… I'll translate for you."

 _:Thank you:_

"Don't mention it, seriously," She grumbled, looking at the clock. "Well… if you want to make it to that meeting at the church, you better go and get dressed Chika."

I grinned suddenly, jumping up and running to my room. _I can finally wear purple again._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Hello there, Lonessa here! *Sigh* I don't know why I do this to myself, but I have started yet another long project. I'm going to die everyone._

 _So this is my own interpretation of the psychopath we all know and love, and in this she is mute. And I'm probably going to skip over a lot of the SR1 events since I haven't played the game as extensively as the others so I know less about it. Chapters will probably become longer than this first one as well over time._

 _And updates will probably be a little slow, since my RWBY fic Wilted is getting almost all of my attention at the moment, but I will do my best to update at least once every two weeks!_

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and as I always say, happy writing to all!_

 _Lonessa out :)_


	2. P1: Canonization

This place… is an absolute shithole.

My apartment is just a couple blocks down the street to the church, so I just had to pull on some clothes and endure a five minute walk until I made it to the cracked pavement and the surprisingly ominous church.

Graffiti tags of the Saints stained the walls, and chips of paint were peeling off the front. The stairs were cracked and slightly grayed from lack of cleaning, and some of the windows were shattered, shards of glass sticking out dangerously.

It _looked_ abandoned. The only telltale sign that it is inhabited is the sea of purple crowded in front of the steps. I wrinkled my nose in slight discomfort when I saw most of the gang members were men, but I expected that.

I dressed casual, wearing similar leggings to the ones I wore last night, but these had a splattering of purple on the left leg and right hip, looking almost like frenzied paint spills. I replaced my old sneakers with black steel toed boots, figuring they would be better to fight in. They only reached mid-calf. My black belt with a gold buckle laid slanted on my hips, my phone and knife safely tucked into the pouch clipped at my back. A black camisole with similar purple splatterings covered my torso, devoid of green markings, and I had taken out my earrings. I replaced my black and green scarf with a black and purple one, it being wrapped around my neck and tied securely at the front, just below my chin. The green ribbon holding my hair up in a bun stayed, and I pulled black leather cuffs over my wrists, tugging at them nervously from time to time.

Wait… _nervously?_ I wasn't nervous!

With a slight huff, I elbowed my way through the Saint's, hearing protests die out when people got a look at me. I certainly didn't _look_ like I could do much in a fight, thanks to my height, but they would be sorely mistaken. Either that was the case, or it was because I was a new chick who looked vaguely like Tinker Bell.

Yes, people have called me that before. Those people aren't around anymore.

I looked to where everyone was staring, seeing Julius. He addressed the entire crowd, rallying them against the gangs showing face around the Row. I didn't care much for the boost inspiration, but others around me began cheering.

I scanned the crowd, hearing a rather malicious "Fuck yeah!" from the man in front of me. I peered closer, seeing that he had tattoos on his neck and wore glasses that shielded his eyes, along with… _umm…_

 _What the fuck is wrong with that guys hair?_

Like seriously, black with white tips? He looks like a fucking idiot!

His smirk vanished and he furrowed his brows in confusion when he saw me, and I stared back blankly and blinked my green orbs at him. He didn't recognize me, big surprise, and he obviously wasn't pleased with some newcomer in the crowd.

"Who the fucks this chick?" He threw an arm in my direction, and his sudden abruptness seemed to fuel the others around me. Calculating looks bore down on me, and tension rose so far that members lounging against the tall trees stood straight with a rigid pose. _Cue Tip seems like a very influential figure in this crowd…_

"Troy and I found her," Julius' voice commanded attention, and I found myself easing in my stance at his voice, "We're gonna see if she'll roll with us."

"She _looks_ like she'll snap like a twig," Cue Tip retorted, and I scowled at him. He merely smirked, "Aw, I think I made Tinker Bell here mad guys."

You see that? _Both_ things I mentioned, and this guy happens to say both. But he looks… _intimidating_ to say in the slightest, so I refrained from punching him in the face at the nickname. I'd rather not get killed my first day, thanks.

I didn't know if anyone could sign in this crowd, but I decided to try anyway, _:Take the first shot, Cue Tip:_

"The fuck is she doing?" Cue Tip frowned.

I heard a snicker, and I turned my head to the right to see a guy with a purple visor slanted to the side. _He understands me_.

I grinned a little, signing to him, _:Who is this guy? I mean, he should be the last guy making fun of my appearance:_

That got a full blown laugh from the man, and he mentioned aloud, "I like her."

He then signed back to me, _:Be careful there girl. Johnny might look like a dumbass with that haircut, but he can kick some serious ass:_

 _:Noted:_

"What the fuck is this? I swear to god Dex, if you—"

"Chill Johnny, we ain't sayin' nothin'," The man, Dex, chuckled.

Cue Tip, or Johnny I suppose, scoffed, "Whatever. Julius, if she wants to roll with the Saints, she's gotta be canonized."

"He's right Julius, everyone had to do it," Troy spoke up from beside the man himself, and Julius leveled a firm stare at me.

"You ready for this, playa?"

I felt like he already knew I would be okay, for some reason. I heard the guys around me cracking their knuckles, rolling their necks, but I just stood there, staring back, before a cocky smirk cracked across my face. _I could do this_.

The area around me cleared a little, and I saw Johnny and Dex standing side by side, Dex with his arms crossed while Johnny looked put off by my reaction to the sudden jump into canonization. If anything, it made my smirk grow wider, and I merely stared forward, listening.

Some chuckles trickled around the crowd, since I wasn't exactly _facing_ the people who were readying to fight me, nor did I take any stance. I didn't need to though. I've been fighting for long enough to know when I'm about to be attacked.

A shift in the air had me moving.

I became a fluid of motion, making sure to keep moving since I didn't have power but I did have agility, and I just kept going.

These guys were pretty slow, so I mostly let them swing punches towards me, then I would dodge, and if I was lucky, have them hit another friend of theirs.

One guy tried to trip me up, and I did stumble a bit, having my toe caught on his leg, before swinging my leg around and hitting him right in the temple with the steel toe of my boot. He went to the ground like a rock, unconscious, and I hopped backward when two others took his place.

One of the Saints swung a baseball bat at me, to which I ducked and rammed my shoulder into his stomach, knocking the breath from him. Not bothering to check to see if he recovered, I grabbed his arm, swung him towards one of his friends with some difficulty (not strong, remember?), and rolled away from a fist flying towards me.

A quick check of my surroundings showed me only two were left standing, and I leapt into action. Planting my feet on an elevated piece of rock, I flipped over the taller man and landed a solid kick on the others chin, seeing him reel back. I landed mid-stride, throwing my weight into a solid punch that sent the Saint to the ground. Suddenly I felt a hand bunch up the back of my camisole. _Shit_.

The taller man had turned and pulled me backward, throwing me halfway across the damn courtyard. I felt a feeling of weightlessness as I twisted my neck to see where I was going, stretching out my arms and gritting my teeth.

The stone scraped my palms as my hands gripped a gravestone, and I swung around the stone, planting my feet on the grass and speeding forward with the added momentum. The Saint smirked before readying to send a solid punch at me, seeing that I had no intention of stopping my advance. At the last second, I rolled underneath his arm, hitting the back of his knee with the heel of my palm and letting him fall to one knee. I scrambled up, hitting the side of my fist onto the back of his head. He fell to the ground in a heap.

The courtyard was quiet for a solid ten seconds.

I straightened a little, seeing the Saints gawking at me. My eyes sought out Dex's, and I signed, _:So am I in or no?:_

He cracked a grin.

"What's she sayin' Dex?" Troy asked, sauntering up to me.

"She uh… she asked if she's in."

"I'd say you are. Nice fightin', girl," Troy held out a hand and I clasped it firmly, smirking.

"Yeah, that was some impressive shit," Dex pat me on the back a few times, "Never seen a Saint kick that much ass since Lin. Or Johnny, actually."

"Pfft, took me half the time," Johnny scoffed, flicking his hand up.

I raised a brow, _:Did it?:_

"Uh… I don't think so," Dex chuckled, signing then, _:Gat was a little bitch back then:_

My hand flew to my mouth as I smiled goofily.

Before Johnny could demand what Dex had signed, Julius came forward with a proud look on his face. He held out his fist, to which I bumped mine against his own with a smile, "Welcome to the Third Street Saints, playa."

Dex nudged me with a smile while Troy took a drag on his cigarette, and as Julius finished his little speech, I grinned. _This is so awesome_.

...

...

...

So. Many. Guns.

Julius sent Troy out with me to buy a sidearm for myself, which led to Dex tagging along considering I can't actually, y'know, _communicate_ with any of the Saints besides him.

"I see you're enjoying yourself there, girl?" Troy asked with a slight grin, and I straightened quickly, finding Dex and beginning to sign rapidly.

"Uh, woah, I'm not that good at sign language. Slower," Dex protested.

I huffed, forcing my movements to slow.

"She's sayin' she knows a lot about different weaponry, but she just never got the chance to use 'em."

"Really? Why's that?" Troy questioned.

Looking off to the side, I merely shrugged, turning and gazing at the different guns in the display case yet again. .44 Shepherds, GDHC's, Kobra's. There were some assault rifles and shotguns in the display's too. The Tombstone was put out in front of the store proudly, along with a huge RPG.

"So, got a preference?"

I mulled over my options, knowing I was only here to get a pistol, not one of the pretty shotguns sitting innocently in their respective cases. But then again, maybe I could come back here, use an alias to get an SMG or two. Those GAL-50's were calling to me…

I did like the power behind the Shepherd, but it had only six bullets before I needed to reload, hence it being a revolver. The Kobra's were basically a smaller and a slightly slower version of an SMG, since all you needed to do was pull the trigger and it just kept going at a lightning quick speed. But I'm not so sure it's a good idea to use a gun that'll eat up so many bullets so quick, considering I was out of practice, having not picked up a gun in a year or two.

Just me and my trusty hunting knife. I'm pretty sure it's gonna become neglected pretty soon, since these gangs aren't known to shy away from a gun fight. And you never bring a knife to a gunfight… just disregard that I did that yesterday too.

Pointing to the GDHC, I turned to Troy with a slight gleam in my eyes, feeling as giddy as a kid on Christmas day. He chuckled at my look, waving the cashier over and specifying my request.

I towed Dex around as I looked at the different throwable items, ranging from molotov's to satchel charges. I feared that I was being a little too giddy on this little expedition, but Dex seemed to enjoy my excitement, patting my golden hair with a slight grin.

Soon enough, Troy came back to us and had to practically drag me out of Friendly Fire, handing me a black case holding my new toy along with a box of ammunition and extra magazines. I grinned, pocketing the box and magazines while swinging the case by the handle with a maniacal grin, practically skipping over to Troy's purple car.

"You ready to test out that piece?"

I turned to Troy, raising a brow. He and Dex looked at each other, then back at me. I began signing.

 _:Where are we going?:_

"To wherever we can find another gang loitering," Dex replied swiftly, opening the passenger's side of the car and slipping inside, "Put together that thing while me an' Troy scan for some Vice Kings or something."

I scurried into the back, opening the case and seeing a disassembled silver gun staring back at me. I barely registered Troy hopping in and starting the car, nor did I really pay attention as the two Saints began conversing. Skimming my fingers along the smooth metal, I grinned. Something new that I _owned_.

I went through the motions of putting together the pistol, recalling how exactly to do so in a matter of seconds. It felt like an extension of myself, ready to be used and I suddenly itched to pull the trigger, to hear the pop of the bullet flying out and whizzing through the air.

I wanted to see the bullet enter one of those flag toting assholes foreheads.

''Damn, that was pretty fast. You sure you haven't used one before?" Troy called back from the driver's seat, eyes still set on the road. Ugh, we were driving so _slow_.

I nodded, angling myself so Dex could see me and signing, _:I only know facts about them, and how to fire a pistol. Rifles and shotguns, not so much:_

Dex chuckled, "Hang around us enough you'll learn everything there is to know under the sun about this shit."

"Hang around Johnny enough and you'll learn everything there is to know in a couple of hours," Troy mumbled, and I frowned suddenly.

 _:I don't think Cue Tip likes me that much:_

"Well if he ever catches wind of you callin' him that he sure as hell won't," Dex shrugged.

"Calling who what?"

"Calling Gat Cue Tip."

Troy coughed a laugh in surprise, "Yeah, that probably wouldn't end well."

I merely shrugged, signing, _:He doesn't look so tough. Just some guy with glasses and baby fat:_

"And if he catches wind of _that_ , he'll definitely try to kill you," Dex joked, though I could tell that he actually meant it. But one guy wasn't going to scare me. Few things really did, actually.

"What'd she say?"

"I'm not even repeating it in fear of _my_ life," Dex held his hands up, taking a glance out the car window, "Hey, look sharp. Got some Vice Kings hanging out in the alley."

I craned my neck to see the familiar flash of yellow, seeing about three or four guys spraying paint on a large canvas, that being a brick wall. I looked at Dex.

 _:Can I shoot them?:_

He snorted, "A drive-by? Go ahead."

While Troy asked what I signed, I rolled down my window and peeked my head out, squinting at the harsh sun. I waved a little exaggeratedly, smiling fauxly as one of the VK's spotted me.

"Hey, whatchu doin' girlie?" He barked with a laugh, winking at the other guys who wolf whistled. I resisted rolling my eyes, fully aware that Troy and Dex were suddenly freaking out.

"The fuck are you doing?!" Troy hissed.

The windows were tinted a near opaque black, so The VK's couldn't see Troy or Dex, and I just waved the spazzing Saints off, sending another dazzling smile the VK's way. I clenched my GDHC in my hand, keeping the muzzle pointed up and sliding a full magazine into the chamber.

I felt a thrill run through me as they closed in on the car, curious of the random girl that called to them no doubt. Well, called isn't really the best word, considering, y'know.

"Hey, if you wanted to kill us, just stab us in the back next time, 'kay?" Dex whispered harshly, fumbling with his own pistol, trying to force the magazine into the pistol the wrong way purely out of rushed carelessness.

The VK's took a step closer, and I took a quick look at what they were carrying. Two had pistols, one a paint can, and the one in the back had a baseball bat. Pfft, easy pickings.

They were suddenly wary as my gaze turned predatory, and I brought my arms upward in a flash, holding my GDHC in a teacup grip. Two satisfying pops of the pistol signalled the two gun toting VK's tumbling to the ground, leaving the others reeling in shock.

"Fuck, she's a Saint, get her!"

My aim veered to the guy holding the can, shooting him the shoulder before darting to the baseball bat guy, shooting him twice in the chest. Calmly, I aimed back at the lurching VK, fired, and watched as he fell with a new hole in his forehead.

Troy and Dex gaped at me as I rolled up my window, blowing air at the smoking muzzle of my gun. I blinked as I realized we weren't moving away from the scene.

 _:What?:_

Dex shook his head, "Ah, shit. You're just as crazy as Gat, aren't you?"

I cocked my head, frowning, _:I mean, it depends on how you look at the definition of crazy—:_

"Oh, fantastic," Dex groaned.

"I don't even want to know what she said. Just, uh, good job?" Troy posed it as a question.

I pouted a little, _:I thought we were going out to kill some VK's… so I killed some:_

"I mean, you have a point. Just tell us when you've got a plan, okay?"

 _:Okay:_ I signed, then tapping Troy on the shoulder and pointing at a building to the right in front of us.

"You want to go to Freckle Bitch's?"

I nodded.

Troy sighed, pulling into the parking lot, "Why do I have a feeling you're going to be one of those cute killers…"

I made a small, content noise in the back of my throat as I signed, _:Because I am one:_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Thanks to all that faved and followed! I'm glad people are interested in this fic!_

 _Happy writing, and Lonessa out :)_


	3. P1: Clean Up

This. Is so. _Awesome_.

Troy caught wind of a full blown turf war in the Row, and we took off to help the boys. Julius, Troy and I just arrived a couple minutes ago and we were pushing forward with little to no opposition. It felt so empowering!

"You see, Troy? The kid's a natural!" Julius praised as I gunned down two more of the Rollerz.

I would never admit it, but I'm secretly enjoying the praise and fond looks Julius keeps giving me. It was subtle, maybe just a glance or a pat on the back, but it made me feel better about what I am. Like I'm doing something that actually makes a difference. I felt like someone actually _needed_ me.

I never had been needed, or relied on before.

It probably isn't healthy that I'm getting this attention from a gang leader, and a small part of me is mocking me and whispering that I would become _that_ girl, the suck up who only wanted praise from her boss. I did _not_ want to become the kiss ass of the Saints.

So I'll just keep my giddiness to myself.

Rounding the corner of one of the warehouses, I ducked low as bullets chipped off the building, diving behind a crate that Troy also hid behind. He looked at me in surprise before flinching back at the rain of bullets hitting the crate. I stared blankly.

 _:How many are there?:_ I signed, only for Troy to stare at me blankly.

"I don't know sign language, sweetheart."

I scowled. _Sweetheart?_ Letting it go for now, I shrugged exaggeratedly before raising one finger at a time.

"One, two, three… Count? How many?" I nodded. "I think there's four more. All of 'em Vice Kings."

I pursed my lips, hesitantly peering over the crate before jolting downwards again as one of the VK's shot at me almost immediately. I bit my lip in thought. _They'll just rush us soon enough… where's Julius?_

A VK did just as I expected, running around the corner and aiming his pistol at us. Troy and us acted at the same moment, raising our guns and firing a split second apart from each other, the VK falling to the ground with two bullet holes on either side of his chest. I looked at Troy's hold on the pistol and frowned.

"What?"

 _:Your way of aiming is stupid:_

"Still can't read sign language, girl."

A frustrated noise erupted from my throat, and I forcefully grabbed his hand holding the pistol, turning it until he held it properly in his hands, not slanted like one of those gangsters in the movies. Nodding once to myself with a smile, I winked at him before running out of cover and scanning for the VK's.

"What the– you are fucking insane!"

Ignoring Troy's protest, I ran forward and fired my pistol at a VK pivoting out of cover, hitting his shoulder and neck, and rolled to the side. Another VK was mowed down by Troy after popping out of cover, and after a moment, I relaxed my stance. That should be all of them… Wait.

That was three.

Swinging around, I narrowly ducked under the butt of a SMG flying towards my face, staggering back and firing blindly. A small squeak came from my mouth as I landed hard on the ground, rolling away and into some thin cover. A rattle of an assault rifle caught my attention.

"You okay, playa?"

I smiled wide, jumping from cover and trotting up to Julius, stopping before him and giving a thumbs up. Troy joined me a few moments later, sucking heavily on his cigarette.

"Haven't even known you for two days and I'm already at risk of getting an ulcer…" He muttered around the cancer stick, and I frowned, balling my hands on my hips.

 _:At least I'm not puffing on a cancer stick twenty-four seven:_

Troy groaned. "We need a translator to stick by her so I can know what the fuck she's sayin'. Look, I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but can you actually not speak, or are you just more used to using sign language or some shit?"

A flash of anger washed over me, something with such intensity that I was thrown off by my own feelings. I blinked to rid myself of the sudden dizziness, and then scowled even deeper than before, pointing to my neck and making slices with my hand.

"I have no clue what that means."

I grit my teeth and took out my phone, typing quickly. _{It hurts to talk and I can't say much beyond a few words at a time. Happy?}_

I nearly face palmed when Troy looked like he was going to question more.

"This isn't the time or place to talk about this, son," Julius cut in, looking between Troy and I. "If you must, then talk this shit out at the church. We got company right now."

That's when I noticed red and blue flashing lights. Ah, lovely.

"Shit, the cops! We gotta get out of here and lose them!" _Astute observation, Troy._

I glanced around, eyes catching sight of a yellow car that I believe one of the Vice Kings drove in with, and tugged on Troy's sleeve, pointing. He took notice and started dragging me toward the car, Julius moving forward and starting it up.

"Come on, come on!" He urged, opening the backdoor and ushering me inside, not even waiting for me to get seated properly before slamming it shut. He ran around and practically threw himself in the passenger side, and Julius floored it as soon as the doors were closed.

"Try and take out their tires!" Julius ordered, and like an automaton, I rolled down the window, leaned out with my gun raised and started firing at the cop cars, just fueled by adrenaline and the heat of battle.

The car was swerving erratically, and I grit my teeth in frustration. If my boss could actually drive, maybe I could get a damn shot off _without_ it going ten feet wide.

 _Fuck it_. I flicked my aim upward and hit the policeman driving in the shoulder, seeing crimson fluids stream onto his pristine suit and his arm jerk back reflexively. The police car swerved, and the driver desperately tried to take control again before promptly slamming into a pole.

"Nice work, playa!"

I felt pride bubble in my chest. _No no, stop it, fuck_ —

"We better high tail it to the church to wait out the heat," Troy said in an off tone while swallowing hard, and I gave him a look of concern before starting to sign, only to remember he can't understand me.

Pulling out my phone, I quickly typed a note and held it out to him. _{Are you hurt? You look pained.}_

"Nah, I'm fine blondie." Troy smiled at me, but it was strained, and he turned back to face forward. I shrugged and pocketed my phone, popping out the empty magazine in my pistol and inserting a fresh new one, sticking the GDHC in between my belt and my leggings.

 _The Row is ours,_ I thought proudly, glancing out the window at the, as of now, reclaimed Saints territory, _but are we going to go farther?_

Oh yes, yes we are. Yes I am.

…

…

…

I was so tired.

I practically fell into my apartment, barely finding the strength to even push the door shut, and trudged over to the leather couch, face planting with a silent sigh.

I heard footsteps approach me, and I cursed in my head. "How's it going, little gangster?"

I blindly gave Daniella the middle finger.

"Now that's not very nice," She tutted, and I heard something being set on the coffee table in front of me. Rolling my head so my cheek was pressed into the leather, I cracked open an eye before bolting upright and lunging for the item.

"Well you're enthusiastic today," Daniella commented with a hair toss, sitting delicately beside me with her own bowl of chicken and noodle soup in her hands. "How was the first day?"

Not even putting down my spoon, I signed in a flash, _:It was fun. I beat the crap out of some Saints, killed a bunch of blue, red, and yellow guys, and no I don't mean that in a racey way:_

Daniella frowned as I spooned the first bite into my mouth, swishing the salty broth around for a moment before chewing the tender chicken. "Blue skin? That's not a race thing."

I gave her a flat look. _:Well I meant the red and yellow part, but if you really want to think on the positive side:_

"Oh shut up Chika," Daniella barked, swiping at my head. I dodged it effortlessly.

 _:Work?:_

Daniella pursed her lips, giving me the chance to wolf down some more of my dinner. "Reggie's dead."

I choked on chicken.

Daniella gave my back a few hard pats, and I coughed before nodding frantically and thanking her with a pat on the shoulder. She continued then at my motion to do so, "One of the VK's blew in outta nowhere and just popped one in his skull. He snapped up Maya and took off."

I scowled deeply, signing, _:I'll get her back. I promise:_

"I don't give a flying fuck about Maya, she was a bitch anyway." Daniella scoffed, waving her hand. "I'm just worried that they'll end up snatching _me_ one day."

 _:That's not going to happen:_

"And how do you know that? You're not exactly around me all day to make sure none of the baddies come along."

I frowned, thinking for a moment. _:Your pimp is dead:_

"Yes, that's kind of the meaning of a bullet to the temple, dear."

 _:What's stopping you from getting out of that career now?:_

"The fact that I have no other jobs available?" Daniella saw my 'thinking face'. "Oh no, _fuck_ no, I am not going to join a motherfucking gang. I ain't crazy like you, I wouldn't even survive the damn canonization!"

 _:Be my translator:_

"...What?"

 _:Some of the guys have been complaining already that they can't understand me. Well, one in particular. If you hang around the church when I'm there, and don't blab to no one, I think I can set you up with something. Hell, I'm already living it easy here, you don't need to work when you're living with me in the first place!:_

"You want me to hang around a dusty...filthy...gang member filled church...and wait for you to talk to someone, so I can translate?"

I blinked, shrinking away from the glaring Latino and grinning nervously, and I nodded slightly. Daniella could be rather scary if she really wanted to.

"I...ugh." Daniella hit her palm to her forehead, groaning as chocolate brown locks fell over her face. She looked pained as she relented. " _Fine._ I will not kill anyone, I will not be harmed, but I will hang out...in the…Saints church…"

 _:Don't sound so excited when you say it:_ I signed with a pout, huffing slightly.

"Of course I'm not excited! I don't want to be associated with a damn gang, I'm going to get fucking killed!"

 _:No you're not, you won't be in any of the fighting. You'll be fine:_

"You better be right," She mumbled, returning to her meal.

…

…

…

The next day, I practically skipped to the church with Daniella in tow. I completely ignored the odd looks I was getting from the random Saints loitering around the courtyard, and instead focused on finding my new friends. Well, _friends_ being a loose term, since I only met them recently.

Still, they seem cool.

"Blondie, over here!" I heard Troy call out to me, and I saw him standing with Dex and Cue Ti– er, _Gat_ , the latter looking mildly annoyed at my bubbly smile.

I waved animatedly before realizing that my Latino friend was no longer beside me, and I scowled at the front entrance. Daniella looked at me with wide eyes and mouthed _no_ in distress, but I merely rolled my eyes and grasped her wrist, pulling her into the church and toward the group of men.

"Who's the chick?" Troy gestured to Daniella.

 _:This is Daniella. She can translate for me!:_

Daniella tried to hide her distaste and flicked her hand in a slight wave. "I'm the Chika's translator. Names Daniella."

 _:I just said that!:_

"Technically you didn't say it, honey." She raised a brow at me, to which I pouted.

 _:Why do you always have to make that joke?:_

"Because it never gets old."

"Okay," Troy said suddenly. "I'm lost."

"You kept complaining about her not speaking. She found someone to speak for her. End of story," Dex condensed, not bothering to hide his chuckle at Daniella's teasing toward me. _Jerk_.

"So she tryin' to become a Saint?" Gat asked suddenly, cracking his knuckles. "'Cause you all know what's gotta happen."

" _No_! No no, I'm good." Daniella backed up a few steps, waving her hands in front of her. "The Chika here talked with your leader, Julius was it? He said I could stay here to translate for her."

Gat looked unhappy with her response, and I signed, _:Can one of you two tell Cue Tip to back off?:_

Dex shook his head. "I don't think you wanna be sayin'—"

"She says you should back off." Daniella stared back at Gat, a frown on her face.

Dex slapped his palm to his forehead.

"What the— who the fuck _is_ this chick?" Gat blurted, looking at me in surprise. "Did she even say her fuckin' _name_?"

"Uh… come to think of it, no," Dex said with a contemplative frown before turning to me. "Well, what's your name?"

I shrugged. Dex turned to Daniella.

"Don't look at me, the Chika refused to tell me too."

 _:It's for a good reason:_

"And that reason is?"

I pursed my lips, putting a finger to them to indicate that I was staying silent. Dex groaned audibly.

"Alright, I guess you'll officially be 'Blondie'," He decided, having adopted Troy's nickname for me.

"I still think Tinker Bell would fit better."

I narrowed my eyes as I managed a small growl at Gat, his dark chuckle the only response. I moved my hands slowly. _:I really do not like you:_

"She says she likes Blondie better."

I gaped, stomping my foot. _:I did not!:_

"That doesn't look like the face of agreement there, Dex," Troy stated.

"I agree," Gat said to my surprise. Then I realized why he agreed a second later. "I think she said she likes Tinker Bell better."

 _:Daniella, tell Gat he looks like a cue tip:_

"No don't—"

"She says you look like a cue tip." Daniella ignored Dex's warning, examining her nails in obvious boredom.

" _Excuse me?!_ " Gat bellowed, hands balled into fists as he glared at me. I cocked my head to the side and flashed a close-lipped grin, waving innocently.

 _:If you call me Tinker Bell, I'm calling you Cue Tip:_

Daniella translated, and Dex slapped a hand onto his forehead. "This is gonna end badly…"

I could easily see how pissed off Gat was, since it looked like his jaw was literally going to snap in half with the amount of teeth gritting he was doing right now. He upped his glare but I just bounced on my toes a little bit, looking up at him with a content and relaxed posture. I've dealt with pissed off guys before, and he didn't scare me in the _slightest._

I guess Gat must've figured out that I wasn't going to back down, because he blew air out his nose in frustration before saying reluctantly, "A'ight. I won't call your scrawny ass Tinker Bell if you stop calling me Cue Tip."

I waited a moment before nodding, rocking back on my heels as I placed my balled hands on my hips, smiling. That was quickly wiped away though.

"Cool. It's a deal, Pixie."

Gat did that stupid chuckle again as I pouted and stomped my foot again, bringing my brows together. Daniella sighed as she placed a hand on my shoulder while Troy and Dex watched the interaction with amusement.

 _:I. AM. NOT. A. PIXIE:_

"I don't think you need translating for that one, man." Dex snickered.

Gat made a noise of agreement before commenting, "You know you act like a little kid. You sure you're old enough to be a gang banger, girl? Don't need your parents permission?"

I knew Gat was teasing me, but the ugly demon was writhing in my stomach and my hands were flying before I could think better of what I signed. In a blur of motion, I managed to get out, _:I can do whatever I want, I'm SIXTEEN, and my parents are half the reason I'm in this gang you block headed moron:_

"What do you mean by that?" Dex puzzled, not bothering to translate for Troy and Gat.

I cast my eyes to the ground, crossing my arms as I refused to share my sob story. It wasn't important anyway, and it'll take a lot more than some curiosity to pry it from me.

"Leave the Chika alone, _idiota,_ " Daniella barked, silencing Dex before he could press more. Gat and Troy just looked confused, but I didn't pay attention to them any longer.

Julius just hopped on stage, and his voice began to bellow his speech.

...

...

...

 _Edited this chapter for minor grammar corrections and one minor change concerning Pixie's age._


	4. P1: Who Says Girls Can't Kill For Fun?

So that was interesting.

To be honest, I kinda tuned out Julius' speech. I just wanted to know who was in charge, and what to do. All that motivational stuff isn't really my mojo.

It _was_ amusing to see that girl Lin punch the lights out of one of the guys though. She was a little intimidating, but I figured she just looked that way so the guys wouldn't mess with her. That's what I'd do. And am going to do. I even talked to her after, just to say hello and let her know who exactly she's going to be working with.

 _{Hi. I like your hair}_

"Uh… thanks," She had replied, raising an eyebrow at me. Daniella had left after getting a call and Dex had to deal with Johnny so I didn't have a translator.

 _{I can't speak, and since most people here don't know sign language, I'm just using my phone}_

It kind of sucked, to be honest. I'm used to reading German text.

"Oh, okay. There a reason why you can't talk?"

 _{Got hurt. Damaged something important that I don't care to remember}_

Lin was rather blunt. "That sucks."

 _{I'm over it. It happened a long time ago}_

She was in charge of taking down the Rollerz and even infiltrated their gang. Not how I'd deal with a gang, but hey, if that's her style, whatever. She said she already had a lead, but she needed some time to prepare, so I'll be meeting her in a couple days.

Dex is tasked with the Carnales, which I thought was a pretty smart move on Julius' part. If you just spend a couple minutes with the guy you can figure out that he plans at least sixteen steps ahead. He's got his corner set up with a map and papers _everywhere._

Julius had originally wanted Troy to be in charge of taking down the VK's, but for some reason, Troy refused. I don't know if it's because he didn't have any ideas on how or if he was just lazy, but his refusal was really, _really_ adamant. So guess who's in charge? Gat, aka the asshole.

Maybe I was judging too quick, but Gat didn't seem very capable in taking charge of making an entire gang crumble, especially a gang with so many links as the Vice Kings. I mean, I may be new to the whole gangster business, but I educate myself in everything I need to know to survive, and that includes the top dogs in the gang banging business. And Benjamin King is certainly a top dog.

Of course, that didn't stop me from dropping by Gat's self-proclaimed 'office'. In reality, it was some grungy old room that smelled of dust and mildew and had a scuffed up desk shoved in the center with an equally disgusting looking chair behind it. Though now that I think of it, I might just be put off by the chair since Gat had his ass parked in it.

"So, you're Julius' new girl." He frowned a little. "You don't look like much. Then again, I don't look like I got a eight inch cock, so I guess we're full of surprises."

I hate him so fucking much and it's been only a day.

 _:I highly doubt that, Cue Tip:_

"Hey now, I may not know the hand bullshit, but I know for a _fact_ that you make that hand gesture whenever you call me that fuckin' bullshit nickname."

 _:Aw, Cue Tip is learning:_

"…A'ight, this ain't gonna work."

"Johnny, just give Blondie a chance." Dex sighed from his spot leaning against the wall, tenseness in his posture purely because he knew Gat was ready to tear my throat out. Or, at least, that's what I _think_ he was tense about. "And Blondie, just shut up and listen."

I stared blankly at him, and then raised my hands pointedly.

Dex hit his forehead with his palm. "Just… you know what I meant."

Well this is certainly going well, isn't it?

Gat and I went back and forth a bit, though it was more so Gat doing the talking while I tried to sign something but he would barrel over both my signing and Dex's translation. _Prick_.

"Oh, hold up, I gotta take this," Gat stopped mid sentence as he pulled out his ringing phone. His eyebrows shot up at the caller ID, and I frowned a bit before rolling my emerald eyes toward Dex.

 _:For the love of God, let me shoot him in the knee:_

Dex smirked but said nothing.

" _Aisha_ , what a pleasant fucking surprise," Gat said into the phone smoothly, before suddenly an extremely loud, extremely feminine, and extremely furious voice blew through the speaker of his phone. "Whoa whoa whoa, repeat that again but slower." Even _I_ cringed a bit at the volume of this 'Aisha's' voice after that. " _Damn_ , that's not slower, that's _louder_."

Whatever the chick said, it got Gat on alert. "Shit, where's she headed?" More loud chatter. "Don't worry, I got this."

I gave him a weird look, scrunching up my face and cocking my head. What, does he think he's in some kind of action movie or some shit? All he needed was some dramatic up-close cinematic.

Dex pushed off the wall, swinging his arms as he asked what the call was about. Gat answered by saying some people nabbed this Aisha girl's sister, and that immediately set me on edge. Daniella's, uh, not quite friend Maya was snatched by the VK's, and unless this was a random kidnapping, the piss colored pricks were the ones behind it. I listened in on Gat and Dex, heard a street name, and immediately jumped out of my chair and turned to the door.

"The fuck are you goin', Pixie?" Gat bellowed as I stomped to the door, "Oh, _hold up_ , you really think you can take down those VK's by yourself?"

I whipped around and scowled harshly at him, signing quick, _:Just because I'm a chick doesn't mean I can't kick some ass:_

Flinging the door open, I heard Dex say, "Uh… yeah, she'll be fine." as I flew through the Church, and a grim smile became plastered to my face.

I may be a Pixie to Gat, but to those VK's, I'm the Grim Motherfuckin' Reaper.

…

…

…

" _We're gonna dieeeeee!_ "

I winced at the piercing scream coming directly from my left, and I could see the poor girl flailing her arms wildly before ducking practically underneath the steering wheel as gunfire broke the rear window. I merely glanced at the putrid yellow car in mild annoyance, casually flicking my middle finger up as the other two girls cowered in the backseat.

The response was an enraged squeal of the tires and the yellow car roaring towards this shitty little mom van.

So, obviously, I saved the girls. The coca skinned girl at the wheel — er, well, under it I should say now — was Aisha's sister, though when she tried to blubber out her name it was unintelligible and I gave up listening to her five seconds in. Two random girls were stuffed in a back room with her, so I brought them along. I called them Little Sis, Freckles, and Maya in my head. Yes, _that_ Maya. Daniella will be just _ecstatic_.

Though, I didn't exactly plan on the VK's following us.

The van I hijacked was swerving so erratically I didn't even bother trying to aim at our pursuers, half because I knew I would miss and half because it was possible that I could hit one of the girls completely on accident. So instead, I wrestled the wheel from Aisha's sister and, despite not knowing how to drive, attempted to steer us toward the church.

…only to have Little Sis bump the wheel _again_ and for us to fly into a light pole. _Fuck._

I made a grand shooing motion that I hoped came across as _out_ and kicked my door open, carefully avoiding the tangled mess of the seat belt. Little Sis stumbled out a second later on wobbly legs and the pasty girl with freckled cheeks (Freckles, get it?) managed to pry her door open moments later.

The VK's car rammed on the brakes, tires screeching as the car spun so the side was facing us, and I yanked my pistol from my belt, haphazardly firing until I saw three of the four occupants slump in their seats. I faintly felt a bullet graze my side, but the adrenaline pumping through me and the crazed glint in my eye stopped me from feeling much of anything beyond excitement.

It was quite comical for the front seat passenger to notice his buddies all dead and me just standing there with a silly smile on my face though. I waved teasingly at him with my gun as he frantically tried to push the corpse of the driver out of the car. Deciding he wouldn't be doing much of anything beyond running away, I turned to the wrecked van.

Yeah, this thing wasn't gonna be saved. The hood looked like a crumpled soda can and bullet holes riddled the trunk, side mirrors and bumper having fallen off long ago. The doors were all dented too. It was a miracle the piece of scrap could even drive in the first place.

And there was still a chick in the back. _Ugh_.

"Uh, hey Blondie? I can't get the seatbelt off, and my leg is… is all banged up…" The young Asian girl said with a wobbly voice, and I just had to roll my eyes.

 _That,_ my dear friends, was Daniella's good friend Maya. Of course she would be the most trouble.

But still, I felt protective of these girls, and I knew there were more of them in the warehouse we were right in front of. Little Sis told me about it, so I just had to try and bust them out. But right now, I had to get Maya, and I had to get her fast.

I typed on my phone and threw it on the roof of the car to Little Sis and Freckles, pulling on Maya's car door as I heard the faint screeching of tires on asphalt. _Have to do this quick._

Little Sis read my message: "Do any of us know sign? Uh… do you…?"

"No. Maya?" Freckles asked.

Maya shook her head as I unsheathed my knife.

"Eesha taught me a little bit…" Little Sis said with uncertainty. "You mute, Blondie?"

I made a _so-so_ gesture as I cut the seat belt.

"Uh… okay then… where are we going?"

VK's interrupted anything I would have _tried_ to communicate, and the two girls screeched before running to hide behind the car. I felt frost run along my veins for a second before I suddenly went into overdrive, wrapping my arms around Maya and dragging her out of the car, bad leg and all, and turned my back to the VK's on the off chance they decided to fire at their… _product_.

 _Fuckers._

I reached for my pistol again, but it wasn't there. Welp—

" _Bastards!_ " Maya suddenly screamed _right in my ear_ and held her arms over my shoulders, and suddenly I heard—

 _ **BANG!**_

Oh.

 _ **BANG BANG!**_

 _Oh you go girl!_

 _ **BANG! BANG BANG!**_

 _Fuck. Yes._ Maya has just redeemed herself from deafening my ear with her vocal cords. _Well, at least I'm not mute_ _ **and**_ _deaf. That would suck._

The gun started clicking as it ran out of bullets, and Maya was breathing heavily as her eyes were wild, terrified yet livid. I relaxed my grip on her and slowly turned around…

 _Well… shit, she's got a good aim._

I eased back, pulling the gun gently from her grasp, and ejected the clip only to slap a new one in. She looked startled at what she just did, and I smiled kindly at her before patting her head (it took a little effort but I managed to reach it… damn heights). I then narrowed my eyes at the VK corpses, completely oblivious to the blood dripping onto the yellow paint and staining their disgustingly colored clothes, and rooted around to find their guns. I managed to scrounge up three pistols for the girls and— _ooooh!_

 _GAL-50 my friends._

I happily strung my new toy in my belt and checked the pistols to see if they had full clips, which they did, thank goodness. I then glanced up and smirked at the girls warily following me, seeing Little Sis eye the weapons nervously.

"So… Blondie, what's— woah woah—"

I shoved a pistol into her hand before giving the other two to Freckles and Maya, winking at the three before finding one of the VK's shirts that had no blood on it. It took some effort, but I ripped it in half, forced Maya to sit on the hood of the yellow piss car, and wrapped up the cuts on her leg.

 _:All better. Now, let's get the rest of the girls back:_

"Wait… we're… we're gonna _fight_ the VK's?!" Little Sis exclaimed in hysteria.

Freckles and Maya blinked, not having known what I signed. "Fightin' what now?"

"She's sayin' we gotta get the rest of the girls back, but the warehouse has gotta be full of VK's!"

Freckles looked distressed at the news, but Maya unsteadily jumped off the hood and cocked her pistol. "Well, we gotta get them back. We know what's happening to them… and besides, it's fucking _payback_ time."

I stared at her for a long moment, blinking owlishly. _:How does Daniella not like you? You're bloodthirsty AND a good shot! Excellent qualities!:_

Little Sis frowned. "Who's Daniella?"

Maya scowled. "Oh _that_ little bitch—"

 _Woah now, the hatred is mutual I see_. I thought with a grin, thoroughly amused as I began marching to the warehouse. I grinned even wider as I heard three pairs of footsteps behind me.

…

…

…

"That… that was… _AWESOME!_ " Little Sis screamed, the rest of the girls screaming wholeheartedly in unison as they pumped their fists in the air (many holding their weapons).

I smiled triumphantly as I skipped along in the front, GDHC in one hand and GAL-50 in the other. Once the first time jitters wore off, the girls turned into something _fierce_ , tearing a path like the mini hurricanes they are. I proudly helmed the front of our metaphorical brigade, leading us all to the Row and just _daring_ for anyone — whether it be a gang member or a police officer — to challenge us.

"We owe it all to Blondie here!" Maya squealed, her limp not dampening her mood in the slightest. "Next time let's hit those fuckers _twice_ as hard!"

Another resounding chorus followed her exclamation, and I couldn't resist raising an eyebrow and letting a smirk crawl onto my face. _Oh? Next time you say?_

I feel like I just inspired a bunch of ladies to join the Saints. Uh, can I get a _go me?_

We rounded the corner and the Church came in sight, it's run down appearance looking glorious to all of us. I didn't understand how the Saints could hang out in a dump like that, but I think I'm starting to get it. Sure it may be a dump, but it was _theirs._ Well, that and when you need to take refuge against angry gangsters that tote around big guns, you can't be picky.

Oh, and let's not forget the poetic genius that Julius took in forming a gang called the Saints and then cramming us all into a bloody church. Now _that_ takes some well crafted creative license.

I directed my little parade of girls to the steps of the Church, feeling a little bit like a babysitter in a daycare center. _Well, it's at least a little different if the guns are taken into account._ I contemplated peeking into the Church to see if Daniella was around anywhere, but since I was gone well over two hours, I decided against it. _Probably home anyway_.

"Hey Blondie—" _Jeez, is that just an automatic nickname for me now? Literally everyone calls me that… except Gat. Fucker._ "You gonna do anything about those bullet wounds?" Maya asked out of concern, blinking her chocolate brown eyes at me.

 _Oh right. I got shot today._

Frowning to myself and ignoring the gaggle of women now staring at me with a mixture of concern and worship (not joking folks, it's getting kinda weird), I checked on the areas I knew I was grazed. One on my left side, and another graze on my right calf. And just before the boot starts too, so that means my leggings are torn! No wonder I hate the VK's, they have _no_ respect for fashion.

 _Woah, girly moment there_.

I checked myself over, not seeing anything else too telling, and shrugged with a slight smile. _:No big, they'll heal easy:_

Little Sis cocked her head at me, a laugh ready to bubble up out of her. "You're really blazé about gettin' shot."

I shrugged with even more exaggerated movements, going as far as lifting my hands and offering them upwards in a _well, what're you gonna do_ gesture, smiling a little helplessly as my eyes closed with the movement. I suddenly heard the screeching of tires and could practically _smell_ the burnt rubber from the sound, and just then my little pose for the girls was destroyed. My fingers curled up and my nails bit at my palms, my left eye popped open and began twitching as my eyebrows shot up, and that serene little smile was jarred into a mostly neutral shape (though I was trying _really_ hard to not scowl).

" _Yo, Pixie!_ "

 _And… yup, I'm scowling now._

I turned my head to the left to see a custom purple _Venom_ parked by the curb, Dex in the passenger side looking at me with an amused grin while Cue Tip practically lunged from the driver's side and stormed towards me. I put my hands down and turned to face him fully, schooling my expression into one of aloof content, a slight plastic smile on my lips as I cocked my head at him.

"Where the fuck have you been? I've been—"

" _We've_ ," Dex corrected.

"Yeah, whatever, we've been drivin' all over lookin' for ya. How the fuck were you gone for _two hours?!_ "

I blinked owlishly, smile gone as I stared up at him for a long moment. I then pointedly looked at the girls all sitting in front of the Church, who were looking a little bit scared now that the big bad cotton monster pulled up. _Wow, he's not even that intimidating. Look at the chubby baby cheeks._

Well, all except for Little Sis.

"Johnny!" Little Sis exclaimed, fast-walking up to us both and standing by me proudly. "Blondie got us _all_ out and helped us fight! She even let me use _this—_ "

His hard gaze suddenly darted to the pistol being waved in Little Sis's hand, and he snatched it with a roar of, " _What the fuck_?" Towards me. _Well okay then._ Now, I'm _trying_ to sign, but the thing is—

"Woah, Gat, calm down man," Dex exclaimed suddenly, now joining us on the sidewalk. "Nothin' wrong with the girls defending themselves—"

"Do you know what Eesh would fuckin' do if she found out I let her little sister handle a fuckin' gun?"

I made my signs a little more grand. _Still trying to sign here. Just the mute, standing here, trying to_ _ **communicate**_ _for fucks sake—_

"Well you didn't give her a gun, Blondie did."

"Not the point! Eesh'll still kick my ass since _this one_ —" he jabbed a finger in my face without even looking in my direction. I'm half tempted to bite the damn thing off. "—will do that little cutsie thing and play the innocent card. Just fuckin' look at her, you _know_ she's one of those types."

That's it. I'm biting it.

I opened my mouth and gnashed my teeth down hard on Gat's pointer finger, though I don't think it really _registered_ for anyone what I decided to do for a full second. That is, until…

"Fuckin' shit!" Gat yanked his finger away and held it up to his eye level as I smiled like a Cheshire cat. Little Sis was staring at me like I had two heads and Dex looked like his head was about to burst with the amount of laughter he was holding in. _Well, at least Dex is always on my side._

"Did you just– I don't even– holy fuck there's a fucking _divot_ in my finger from Pixie's damn teeth."

I didn't even bother hiding my smile, bouncing on my toes as I signed happily, _:I was trying to talk but no one would pay attention. And don't stick your fat fingers in my face:_

Dex couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing at that, wiping at his eyes as Gat scowled harshly at me. His glare looked downright _murderous_ , and while amusing, in the back of my mind I recognized that maybe I _shouldn't_ mess with the most volatile member of the Saints this much. _Eh._

"Okay okay, let's just– just get a level head about this," Dex managed to say through small chuckles, breathless from the loud bellows of laughter a few moments before. "Listen man, endgame is what matters. Th' girls are safe, Aisha don't gotta worry 'bout her sister no more, and the VK's will be thinkin' twice about snatching up girls from now on. Blondie did good, 'specially since it's her second day."

I felt myself unwillingly perk up at the praise, and I tried to hide the elated smile that was trying to twist itself onto my face. Gat and Dex turned to look at me and I ducked my head down, scuffing my steel toed boot on the ground and a few strands of golden hair that fell out of my bun hid my face. I heard Gat sigh.

"A'ight… look, you did good, next time just try not t'run off like a deranged midget—"

I immediately lifted my gaze and looked at him flatly.

Gat huffed before reaching into his jacket pocket. "Look, I ain't good with conversational shit like this, so just take your fuckin' cut so I can get Aisha's sister back before she hunts my ass down."

And with that being said, he shoved a huge pile of money into my palm, sent a two fingered salute my way, and walked back to the _Venom_. I blinked owlishly at the cash, eyeing it warily. _Why would they give me this? This… this is a lot, but I don't need it._

"Um, Blondie?" Little Sis poked my arm, and I startled before looking at her. "Thanks for saving me from the Vice Kings. I'm probably gonna head out of town soon because of all this shit, but… you need anything, contact my sister Aisha. She'd be happy to help you out."

Little Sis hesitated before hugging me, and I just kinda went tense and didn't move. It felt weird, being touched in a way that isn't just messing around or someone randomly patting my head (I'm short okay, it happens). But… eh, maybe it wasn't so bad. I ended up awkwardly patting her back, and settled for a small smile as Little Sis drew back and grinned at me.

The _Venom's_ horn honked as Gat watched the scene impatiently. "I don't got all day here!"

 _:You better go. Cue Tip gets angry really fast:_

"Hey, little secret?" Little Sis leaned in conspiratorially. "I think he gets angry with you a lot faster than most people."

She ran to the car then, and I waved at them as the _Venom_ screeched away. I saw Dex eyeballing me from the corner of my eye, but I ignored it, and then turned my attention back to the money sitting innocently in my palm. I frowned, thinking hard.

"Never saw someone _glare_ at their take before," Dex mentioned offhandedly as he fiddled with his visor. I just cocked my head at him, and he chuckled a little before patting me lightly on the shoulder and walking into the Church. "Don't overthink it, girl. Just have fun."

I narrowed my eyes, watching him walk past the group of girls. _Oh, hold on. Idea._

My eyes met Maya's, and I waved the cash around, simultaneously typing into my phone and showing her. _{So, you girls have a place to stay? If not, I can fix that!}_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Woah. So it's been a while. Apologies for that long ass hiatus, some stuff happened and... well, I decided to focus on one fandom for a bit. My Saints Row muse is kicking up in full gear though, and I've been writing like crazy for it. I got a couple more chapters that just need editing!_

 _Thanks to all of you that sent me those positive reviews, even though some of you may not bother with this story anymore I truly appreciate it!_

 _Oh, and to LoveroftheKiller: So sorry I abruptly stopped pm'ing. I shut down my pm's for a while because a couple dicks that read my RvB fic were sending me a lot of shit... like, threats. Ugh, sometimes I hate people._

 _Well, since it's summer I have a lot of spare time and as I said, I've been writing like crazy. I'm making it a point to not disappear for a hiatus until the SR1 timeline and possibly a little bit of SR2 timeline has been cemented in a bit. I am going into my first year of college in August though, so I'll keep y'all updated on what gives._

 _Terribly sorry once again, happy writing to all of you! Lonessa out._


	5. P1: Making Friends

You know, when becoming partners with an undercover agent, it can get a little boring sometimes. Waiting and waiting and _waiting_ for Lin to call me is annoying, and when I did get to meet up with her it was hardly enough time to even get a word… er, _sign_ in edgewise. Though I suppose the pros outweigh the cons, because Lin just _loves_ sending me out to blow shit up. I guess it goes hand and hand with her love for car bombs. And just bombs.

And guns that can trigger explosions that resemble bombs due to said gun shooting bullets into a propane tank.

…okay, so maybe _I'm_ the one that likes the explosions, but Lin still sends me out to make it all happen!

But anyway, Lin finally contacted me again, and now I was walking through the doors to some high class Chinese restaurant to meet her. She said something about things going too slow for her taste and she really wanted to get in a position so info would flow to her, and what Lin wants, Lin gets.

I was just here to find out the specifics.

I couldn't help but smirk as an old musty guy offered her a light and Lin promptly accepted it, lit her cigarette, and threw the silver lighter right over her shoulder. I kept walking towards the now vacated spot just to Lin's right and came close enough to hear the old man muttering.

" _Bitch._ "

My eyes flashed dangerously. _That's not very nice._

Just as he was about to reach the lighter on the floor, I planted my boot on it and waited with a stony face for him to look up. Once he realized the colors I was sporting, and then the colors _Lin_ was sporting, he quickly got jittery.

Since I was meeting Lin I made it a point to not wear purple. I was decked out in black, black leggings, black tank top, and my regular steel toed boots. For good measure I tucked a aqua colored piece of fabric with black ornate shapes on it into my waistband, making it so the blue fabric dropped down to cover my left hip. I switched out my purple scarf for a blue one too.

I stared at the old man a little while longer, making sure he knew just who he was fucking with, and then flashed a dazzling smile before kicking my foot back and sending the lighter skidding who knows where. I then bumped into him as I passed, enjoying the frantic footfalls I heard as I claimed the seat beside Lin.

"Seems like you and me are always making new friends," Lin commented teasingly as she nudged my shoulder, smirking before looking at the bun my hair was in. "Take out the bun, Tiny Tink. You look prettier with your hair down."

I scowled as Lin pulled the green strip of fabric from my hair, my bun practically exploding as golden curls fell over my shoulders, down my back, and a few fat curls fell right before my eyes. I typed into my phone. _{Your nickname isn't original, Gat called me that first day}._

"Eh, well I don't give a fuck if I'm not original, I thought of it, I'm calling you it. Especially if you keep your hair up like that, it's a splittin' image." Lin waved her cig in the air for a moment as she turned to her tea sitting half full on the counter. "Okay, speed it up. There's a guy named Joseph Price who calls the shots. I don't know shit about him beyond he's friends with some guy named Donnie. If we get in with Price's crew, we'll always be one step ahead of those fuckers."

Donnie, huh? I listened raptly as Lin explained her plan to me; I've always enjoyed listening to her plans, watching how her dangerous brown eyes darkened to near black as she talked about the Rollerz. It was good learning experience too, witnessing how Lin figures out problems and thinks on the fly like she does. It's sort of like she's become my mentor, showing me the ropes, teaching me how to spot weaknesses. Small observations and all that. And when she did come around to the Church, all covered in purple with her bulky glasses and baseball cap and her hair stuffed in to make her unrecognizable, I got absolutely _giddy_. If I was around she'd spot me within a second before sauntering over, greeting me with a small nod with just a hint of a grin on her lips.

Dex and Troy were pretty nice, joking around with me and showing legitimate concern when I got wounded, but Lin and I actually _talked._ She wasn't like Troy, getting all frustrated when I forgot that he couldn't read sign language, and while it ate up the precious little time she had to talk to me because I had to type out my replies, she did so willingly, like I was _worth_ it. And it felt good.

I didn't want to get ahead of myself, but it felt like we were friends.

We'd glare at any of the guys that looked at us the wrong way, exchange ideas and opinions on the other gangs, and we even pranked Gat a couple times (yeah, he _really_ hates me now, but after my performance in rescuing Aisha's little sister I know he'll have something for me again soon).

As Lin neared the end of her plan, I frowned a little in realizing I wasn't actually blowing anything up today. A shame. Eh, at least I can terrorize some poor mechanic for fun.

"Alright, you got all that?" Lin asked, knowing I wouldn't reply and continuing on, "Good, now let's get started." She gave me back my green cloth that tied my hair up, and said low enough so others couldn't hear, "Now take that blue shit off. I don't want a Saint mistakin' you for one of those douchebags… oh, and thanks for buyin' my tea!"

I pouted as Lin sauntered off. She just made me pay for tea because she knew I couldn't say shit about it!

 _Eh, maybe she'll let me blow stuff up to make up for it._

…

…

…

 _This guy looks like he'll keel over if I_ _ **breathe**_ _on him._

I thought this a little frustratedly as the blue haired mechanic (Donnie or something) scrambled around trying to make it to the back exit of his little shop, and I had to make a serious effort in missing. Like seriously, he's bumping into _everything. Holy shit._

Hell, if I had a voice right now, I would just be speaking in monotone: ' _Oh no, he's getting away, how will I ever catch him oh nooooo.'_

I nearly facepalmed as it took him about seven tries to open the damn door before he ended up smashing his body through it. And I have a gun in _both hands._

The mechanic was skidding along the concrete, wincing as my bullets hit close to his heels and blew chunks of sidewalk into him. I took into account the blue trash bin to my left less than a second before Lin came roaring around the corner in her _Voxel_.

"Donnie, get down!"

I played my part, taking cover behind the bin as SMG rounds pounded into the blue plastic. _Well she certainly doesn't seem like she's trying to miss!_

I heard her bitch at Donnie and I swung around, seeing him in the passenger seat with her and looking like a kicked puppy. I wasn't even thinking when I squeezed off too more shots, suddenly turning as pale as a sheet when they hit Lin's door.

 _Oh God she's going to kill me next time she sees me._

"Mother _fucker_ —" Lin growled before unleashing another volley of bullets at me, and I dove for cover. Not a couple seconds later Lin shot off and I was left in the dust, nursing a few bruises and smirking to my heart's content.

 _Mission accomplished._

…

…

…

I was waiting ever so patiently in one of the pews of the Church, just _knowing_ that I was gonna get a call from a _very_ angry woman with a very dangerous aura. _Well, gotta get the adrenaline in my system somehow!_

My phone vibrated as if my thoughts summoned the caller, and I clicked the accept call button before humming into the receiver.

" _You motherfucker,_ " was Lin's greeting, her husky voice adding to the dark tone. " _The one fucking thing I told you_ _ **not**_ _to do is fuck up my car, but there's two fucking bullet holes in my fucking door that I have to fix the fuck up._ "

 _Woah, note to self: the car is the key to Lin's rage._ I hummed apologetically.

" _You better be fucking sorry, shit. Bad enough Donnie's ass dented the hood, but now this shit—_ "

I hummed a little more forcefully this time, trying to simulate a question.

" _Oh, he's fine. Figured just rushing in for a rescue and then immediately searching for intel would be too obvious. Gotta play this shit smart,_ " Lin said strategically. " _Okay, so Donnie wanted me to go with him to meet his buddy and his buddy's uncle in a couple days. Until then you ain't gonna hear shit from me. I'll text you the place to go on our next meet. Oh, and stay away from Roller turf for now. Donnie knows what you look like so meeting in person is gonna be tricky from now on_."

I made a hum of understanding, but silently I was thinking about what to do while I waited.

" _Good girl. Now, why don'tcha go see what Johnny has got going on? I know you don't like him, but no one likes Johnny at first. Fuckin' ass._ "

I made a hum of disappointment.

" _I know I know, you're disappointed. But seriously Tink, you two got off on the wrong foot. Ya got a lot more in common than ya think, so just go and see what jobs he's got, and act_ _ **civil**_ _, for the love of God. Dex told me 'bout the last time you did a job for him._ "

I made a _meh_ noise but Lin could tell I was going to listen to her.

" _Good, I'll talk to you as soon as I can._ " Then, Lin added in a far more amused tone, " _No more finger biting you crazy bitch._ " And there's the dial tone.

To say I was a little bit unhappy would be an understatement, and as I looked in the direction Cue Ti— _grrr, Gat's_ office was, to be quite frank I felt a bit of anger. But, well… I 'told' Lin I'd see what's up, and what is up I shall see.

…Y'know I wonder, if I could actually talk freely, would I say weird shit like that? Because if so, I don't need my vocal cords. _Nooooope_.

I felt my throat twinge in pain as I stood up. I rolled my eyes in annoyance, reaching into my trusty pouch and pinching a cough drop in between my fingers. I inwardly grinned at the taste as I popped it in my mouth and swirled it around a bit. _Love_ cherry.

I began skipping over, patting my bun to make sure it was still secure and finding Dex just around the corner. He was leaning by the door to Gat's office with a bored look. Until he saw me of course, 'cause come on, I'm not even _remotely_ boring.

"Hey Blondie, how's it going?" He grinned and pat my head when I got close enough to him. "Heard from Lin that y'all are blazing through those Roller fucks."

I shrugged, signing, _:All in a day's work:_

"Heh, well I'd say for the first week, you're doin' a damn good job. Oh, by the way, I think I'm onto something with the Carnales. Mind if I hit you up in a couple days, talk about arranging a job?"

I winked, smiling.

"That's the spirit. What you up to now though?"

 _:Checking to see if Gat has got anything for me:_

"Shit, you're going in there _willingly_?" Dex faked a look of incredulity. "Damn, couldn't take back Stillwater before the apocalypse rolled around…" I thumped his arm as hard as I could and he chuckled while rubbing the sore spot. "Okay okay, I'm just teasin' girl. Gat's inside with Aisha, go right in. She's been wantin' to meet the girl that saved her sister."

I nodded, flicking my hand in a small wave before pushing open the door and raising a brow as my ears were suddenly _assaulted_ with noise. Specifically, two people screaming at each other.

Johnny Gat and Aisha… wait the _singer_? _Oh_ …

Well, in hindsight the numerous posters of Aisha and Gat's attempt at a 'suave voice' in talking to her over the phone _probably_ should have given me enough of a hint. Besides, how many _Aisha's_ are in Stillwater?

…probably more than my own name, if I'm being honest.

" _You_ didn't, _she_ did!"

"Ey, bullshit! I sent Pix out to do it!" Gat pointed to me, and I snapped back to attention, noticeably startled. His fingers flexed out so an open palm was offered to me. "Uh, no offense."

I honestly had no clue what they were talking about, so I just looked between the two before shrugging helplessly. _And really? He made a nickname_ _ **out**_ _of a nickname… WHAT IS THIS?_

 _Grr_ , I really want to shoot him for that shit but Lin made me promise…

Gat seemed happy I played along though, giving Aisha a smug look. Aisha merely glared at him, hands on her hips as she snapped with a hell of a lot more bite than I thought she could muster, "Look, if you wanna help me, _help me_. But don't you _dare_ try to hold it over me."

"Fine."

" _Fine._ "

" _Fine!_ "

… _I feel like I just walked in on something I shouldn't be listening in on._

I eyed them carefully as they sat, wondering how they even stayed in the same room with those sort of arguments. _Is- is that normal? Is it like a relationship type thing, just happens?_

"'Ey, Pixie, you still with us?" Gat tried to get my attention, and I snapped out of my musings again. _Lord_ do I just go into La La Land whenever I'm around Gat or something? Or maybe I'm tuning out the weird tension in this room. Didn't like it too much. "Ah, _shit_ , see look Eesh, you scared the poor thing!"

…what.

"She doesn't look that scared," Aisha argued.

"What can I say? She hides it well," Gat replied before standing up and walking over to me. I more than likely looked like a startled cat or something as he draped an arm around me and began walking me to the empty chair, leaning down so he could talk to me in a soothing voice. _Soothing. What the fuck._

"Look girly, I know arguments can be a little scary to watch, but she don't bite and in the office, nothin's gonna happen."

He pushed me into the chair before taking his own seat, and I still just looked confused. He had a smug look on his face then, smirking at the both of us, and I looked at Aisha who was looking—… _oooh._

 _He was using me to get back into her good graces, the little prick!_

I huffed moodily and crossed my arms as I glared at him, with him merely smirking back with that smug little face I wanted to smack really bad. I was trying to broadcast threats to him but I don't think it was working. _Bring it, Four Eyes. I'll smack your damn glasses right off your chubby face._

"Relax Pixie, I have someone I'd like you to meet." He then gestured to the woman sitting beside me. " _This…_ is Aisha. And tonight we're gonna kill her."

… _uhh wHAT?_

"He's being _melodramatic_ ," Aisha rushed to correct, and I could only roll my eyes. _Only Cue Tip could make murder melodramatic… shit I just called him Cue Tip again didn't I? Whoops._

Alright, let's see how this one goes.

…

…

…

I _love_ Aisha.

She's the sweetest person ever and how Gat somehow managed to catch her attention? I had no idea. But she was actually teaching me how to _drive_ and she wasn't being judgemental or anything and it was _awesome!_

"Alright now, when you brake, don't just slam down on the pedal. Ease it down. Prevents whiplash and potentially wearing down your tires," Aisha instructed as I stopped at a red light. "Nice! Oh, but if one of those gang bangers is on your tail, do what you gotta do, hun. Don't want you getting yourself killed over traffic laws."

I nodded giddily as I pushed down on the gas again, nearly to the chop shop. I smiled and reached out to pat Aisha's arm in gratitude.

"Hey girl, it's no problem. My sister told me about what you did to keep her safe, and I can't ever repay that debt," Aisha said with a smile. "Though I gotta say, you look new. First time around the Row?"

I nodded, holding up my hands and trying to convey the amount of weeks I've been around Stillwater. She narrowed her eyes.

"…four months?" I shook my head. "Weeks?" A nod. "No wonder I haven't seen you. I will say you're the new buzz around the Church though. Everyone's talking about this nameless girl with the Tinker Bell cosplay."

I made an indignant noise. _Those pricks! Who started— oh._

 _Fucker._

"Don't like the nickname?" Aisha asked knowingly. "I'll try and get Johnny to lay off, get the guys to stop calling you it when you're not around. Though all the nicknames would stop if you shared your name…"

I placed my knee on the steering wheel so I could sign to her. We were in the parking lot of the shop anyway. _:My name is so much worse, you have no clue:_

"Oh yeah? What is it? Maybe you just think it's bad."

I pursed my lips, suddenly nervous. I didn't share my name for multiple reasons, one of the minor reasons being I hate the stupid thing. But I didn't want someone to find me, didn't want _him_ to find me…

But then again, I didn't want to live in fear, didn't want to live in a fucking _shadow._

I signed my first name.

"Oh… uh, yeah, might wanna keep that shit wrapped up tight," Aisha said after a moment, looking sympathetically at me. "I actually think it's cute, but those boys'll tear it up."

I scowled at the dashboard. Samson waved us into the shop and I wrestled myself out of the car, hugging my torso as I went into the office on the side with Aisha as Samson got to work.

"So… Italian?"

I whipped my head over to her rapidly, blinking owlishly. She was looking at me with genuine curiosity, and my guard lowered a little. I nodded.

 _:And German:_

"Ah. You have the really blonde hair going for ya when it comes to German." She picked at the flab of hair that flopped to cover the right side of my forehead and part of my eyebrow. Sometimes it would flop into my right eye and it would get real annoying, but my bangs just aren't long enough to fit in my bun.

 _:And I have all the hand gestures for Italian, right?:_

I smiled as Aisha laughed at that, nodding after a moment. "I think you're gonna be a fine Saint." And she called me by my name.

It was weird to hear it. I wasn't fond of hearing it, but I understood _why_ she addressed me by my name. And I appreciated it, _a lot_.

After that we just sort of sat there in silence for a bit, watching Samson running around trying to get Aisha's car ready in record time. Aisha cleared her throat awkwardly, and I kept an ear out for what she was going to say.

"So… does Johnny talk about me at all?"

"…"

 _SO IT WAS A RELATIONSHIP THING!_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Hey-o, I'm back. Freakin' love Aisha and Lin, for the only two female characters (besides Luz but meh who cares about her) they rocked it._

 _RoninKnight: Hey, nice to see you still around! I'm glad you like my story, I really appreciate it!_

 _Guest: Thanks! Sorry for the long wait again~_

 _Writing about the first game gives me nostalgia, though at the same time I love how the gang is so balanced now. Oh well, it's a long time before things change anyway. Also, I'm editing past chapters just for grammatical errors and rewording some bits, though nothing really drastic changes (however Pixie is now sixteen instead of seventeen FYI, that's about the only change)_

 _Happy writing and Lonessa out! :)_


	6. P1: Rolling Heads And Limbs

_So...just realized that my computer has been changing Stilwater to Stillwater... *sigh*. Why must technology betray me? Anyway, POV changes are indicated in the scene changes, nothing serious!_

 _..._

So, remember when I said being friends with an undercover agent got boring at times?

 _ **BOOM!**_

"Holy _fuck_ , calm your tits, Hammer!"

"Fuck off, Scott!"

That was a _complete_ lie.

Once the meeting with Price rolled around Lin told me where to go and to just eavesdrop on the conversation. Sure enough, that idiot Donnie let slip something about a convoy, and by how desperate Price's Uncle Sharp was about keeping it quiet, you bet I jumped on the case.

I managed to round up a trio to help me out defending the trucks, and so far things were running smooth. We rounded up the two other trucks like cattle and drove them to the other stationary truck, sent the drivers of the trucks into the building so they wouldn't risk getting shot, and sat behind a few crates in wait.

And then the Rollerz rolled up. _Ha. Puns._

Hammer was an explosion maniac, hurling grenades without care at the Rollerz's tricked out cars, laughing as they exploded into a fiery mess. His eyes were nearly as black as his dreads, glinting dangerously in the moonlight.

Scott was tall but lanky, cradling an assault rifle in bony arms as he yelled at Hammer for wasting all their (I secretly pocketed a grenade when Hammer wasn't looking) explosives in one go. His murky green eyes were narrowed almost constantly, unkempt brown hair singed at the ends due to an explosion too close for comfort.

And the last of them all, was a muscle-y guy with the palest blue eyes imaginable and blonde hair like mine only a few shades darker. For some reason he was called Playboy by his peers, and I didn't really want to know why. _Weirdos._

"Havin' fun yet, Princess?" Playboy asked with a lazy smirk, firing at a Roller that got to close.

Yeah, they've taken to calling me Princess because I _happened_ to have been moping when Hammer killed the last of the Rollerz tailing us on the way here when I had a perfectly good shot on them. _Excuse me for wanting some bloodshed!_

I glared at him before lifting my GAL-50 and spraying bullets over our cover, hearing a few bodies drop a second later. My expression practically screamed _fuck off._

"Runnin' outta mags here!" Scott yelled over the gunfire, AR rattling in his arms as his lips curled into a sneer. "You gotta backup plan or some shit, Princess?"

 _Fucking stop calling me Princess and I'll make sure that plan consists of you getting out alive. Fucker._

I noticed the pile of red barrels stacked on their side right by the Rollerz cars a while ago, but I didn't want to waste a good finale. Besides, I didn't actually know if the things exploded, and _if_ they did, I wasn't sure we wouldn't be killed in the explosion too.

All I know is my phone's been vibrating for the past five minutes, I had five clips left, and a sole grenade in my pouch.

Scowling as my phone stopped vibrating for a blissful _second_ before starting up again, I whipped it out and didn't even look at the caller ID before answering with an angry hum. _Yeah, my method of communication via phone is humming. How the fuck else am I gonna talk over the phone? They don't like it, then they should text me instead of_ _ **fucking calling me.**_

"… _okay, hello to you too._ " Troy, _of course_ it was Troy. " _Dex is ready for the next move on the Los Carnales. Where you at?_ "

I blinked. _The Los…_ fuck it, nevermind. I was honestly surprised Dex was already ready for the next step. Right before this shit with the Rollerz I was blowing up drug labs for him.

But now that Troy was on the line, I got an idea.

I punched the button for speaker and yanked Playboy over, giving a pointed look to my phone and humming urgently. Playboy looked startled to put it bluntly.

" _Blondie? Yo, you doin' okay? I hear gunshots._ "

Suddenly understanding what I wanted him to say once he heard Troy, he spoke into the phone for me, "We could use some help! Rollerz got us pinned down, but we can't leave, gotta protect the trucks."

" _Trucks? Wha— fuck, hold on Blondie, I'm on my way. Which street?_ "

As Playboy told Troy where we were, Scott mumbled with some bitterness, "Yeah, I guess we'll hold on too. Y'know, your precious little Blondie ain't the only one…"

I narrowed my eyes at him with a little anger, wondering if all he could do was bitch. Hammer, despite the gunshots all around and the sudden lack of explosions, was still smiling happily while he nudged me.

"Scott don't mean nuthin' by it. He's just pissy, like usual."

"Fuck off, _Montana_."

Hammer scowled. "You want me to cut your fuckin tongue out, bitch? I _told_ you, don't use my first fuckin name, I sound like the fuckin singer."

"Sounds like Troy's protective of the Princess," Playboy commented offhandedly, whipping a Roller over the head with his gun and leaving me to stomp on the stunned gangster's neck. _Nice tag team. Not so nice what you're implying._

I was getting a little annoyed at this little war of attrition thing the Rollerz were playing on us, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about our dwindling ammo. Frowning, I glanced at the warehouse behind me. _Maybe…_

 _I wonder what toys I can find in there._

…

 **Troy**

…

A lot of things in this life stress me out. A lot of them I can't even talk about to my fellow Saints. But recently, one specific thing has been stressing me out these days, and that specific thing comes in the form of a short, nameless, mute, and blonde teenager with a love for guns, a cute killer persona, and a sassy attitude.

Holy shit, if this girl doesn't give me an ulcer, the amount of cigarettes that I've sucked up since her arrival would sure give me lung cancer at this rate. Think I've gone through a pack in a day…

"Fuckin' _watch it_ , Johnny!" I yelled as yet _another_ pedestrian did a tumbleweed over the hood of Gat's specially detailed _Venom_ , grievously hurt if not _dead_ from the impact.

"Oh, fuck off. You wanted to get there fast, we're getting there fast," Gat replied, looking completely at ease with one hand on the steering wheel, shotgun thrown casually on his lap, and a pistol aimed outside of the car and shooting at stray Rollerz that were driving in the same direction we were. Then, as an afterthought, Gat exclaimed, "Hey, why the fuck is Pixie runnin' around doin' all this fun murderin' shit these days?"

I didn't even bother sighing in disappointment, since _fun_ and _murder_ were two very common words in Gat's vocabulary, even more common in the same sentence. "I don't fuckin' know. She just shows up and stares with her little Bambi eyes until we go over and ask her to help. It's like she's got that guilt trip shit down to a _science._ "

"For me she just barges in and parks her ass in a chair," Gat mused. "And glares sometimes. You know, I get the feelin' she don't like me."

" _You_ don't like _her_ ," I reminded him. "And you keep callin' her Pixie, 'course she's gonna glare."

"She fuckin' calls me Cue Tip!"

"Hey man, I can't control what you do with your hair. And she can't _talk_ , she doesn't call you shit!"

"She _signs_ it!" Gat objected. The _Venom_ swerved recklessly then, cutting a corner and ramping over a sidewalk momentarily before bouncing back onto the road. I breathed out a silent sigh of relief as an old woman narrowly avoided getting clipped by the side of the car. "And the fuck you mean, my hair's fine."

I cast a disbelieving look to Gat's frosted tips, but wisely said nothing. He merely shook his head and nodded to the approaching warehouses. "That's the address. Just— look, give the girl a chance, alright? She's done good by Aisha, as well as the rest of the Saints so far. When you get past her sass she's alright."

Gat merely grunted in response, parking the _Venom_ on the side of the road and kicking the door open. He hefted his shotgun up and smirked as he heard the gunshots drawing ever closer. "Let's fuck some shit up, Bradshaw."

I wordlessly followed, pistol gripped tightly in my hand (in a teacup grip I might add. Blondie constantly gave me shit for how I aimed), and turned the corner with Gat only to stop and stare.

"…Okay, this? This might just make me like her," Gat said after a stunned moment of silence, taking in the scene before them.

…

 **Pixie**

…

Guess what I found~?

The blade glinted sharply in the moonlight, the curved edge whistling through the air and gliding smoothly through the leg of a Roller, and I twirled on by with a deranged smile. I ignored how the Roller fell to the ground at the loss of a leg, ignored the blood splattering my face and staining my hair, my clothes, my shoes. The long handle of my new favorite weapon was slippery with blood, and when I tightened my grip I could hear the sticky _squelch_ of the liquid.

 _Note to self: garden scythes sure were messy._

I thought this without much care as I held the handle over my head, letting the scythe blade spike into the chest of another Roller, my arm brushing the side of my ear as my elbow bent so my arm was literally reaching _over my head_ to grasp the scythe. My free hand (my right hand that is) was pushing the blade further in, having placed itself on the steel part of the handle that was connected to the blade.

I _LOVE_ this weapon!

My new trio of friends were cheering me on, the teasing nickname of Princess now turning into a moniker of respect. They hollered out the nickname like it was holy, pumping their firsts and pulling the triggers of their empty guns, clicks in the place of bullets. The Rollerz still tried to get shots off at me, but I think my bloodied appearance might have put them off of the idea.

 _Didn't want to anger the Reaper, did they?_

" _Holy… holy FUCK, Blondie!_ "

I looked over to the voice. Oh. Troy's here. Wait, wait a second, who the fucks that with him—

" _Yo, save some for us!_ " Gat was here too. _Lovely_.

While I wasn't happy he was here, I _did_ need help. My new friends weren't doing much else by shouting their support, but once Troy and Gat started firing, the amount of pressure on me to take cover, dodge and _then_ slash was decreased immensely. I grinned ferally before charging forward, two handing the scythe before twirling and decapitating two more Rollerz.

Gat and Troy were felling them fast, the pumps from the shotgun becoming a constant, fast paced noise, and I took the pace they were, running as fast as my legs could carry me as I swung the death machine in my hands. Then I spied the barrels in my peripheral.

Without thought I reached a bloody hand into my pouch, clutching the grenade in my hand and letting the blade's outer curve rest on the concrete. I rested my boot delicately on the blade as I pulled the pin and popped the lever off, flinging it right on the pile. I quickly took the handle of the scythe in my right hand, keeping the blade behind me as I sprinted away, consequently _towards_ Gat and Troy. I heard Hammer bellow an excited " _awww, shiiiit!_ ", and heard a _deafening_ explosion behind me, felt the ripples of intense heat on my bare arms and clothed legs, feeling a grin burst across my face. _Today is a good day._

I skidded to a stop right before Troy and Gat, absolutely _giddy_ thanks to the rush of adrenaline. My smile was replaced with a small frown of confusion however as both of the guys just… gaped at me. Even worse, Troy didn't think to bring someone who could actually _understand_ what I was signing, so it wasn't exactly _easy_ to ask them what was wrong.

I waved a little unsurely, seeing them both snap their jaws shut and adopt vastly different expressions. Troy looked beyond confused, along with a little disgusted, while Gat just looked at the carnage I left in my wake and started grinning.

"That… that was fuckin' _beautiful!_ " He chuckled, actually _smiling_ at me. "Nice work, Pixie."

Inwardly I immediately recoiled at the nickname, anticipating him to start messing with me about it again. But something about _how_ he said it was different, and I blinked owlishly as he offered his fist. My gaze flickered from his face to his fist for a couple seconds, and all he did was arch a brow. Hesitantly, I bumped my knuckles to his with a shy smile.

"Are the people you were with all good?" Troy asked to not so subtly change the subject, and I nodded before turning to look behind me. I beckoned the three over with my hand.

"That was some crazy shit there, Princess!" Hammer bellowed, not at all sour about me stealing a grenade from him. "Best piece'a action I've seen in awhile!"

"Coulda used that grenade sooner," Scott grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"Ey, quit actin' like a little bitch," Playboy scolded the scowling gangster before sending a charming grin my way. "Nice moves, Princess. We might just have to rename ya the Reaper after that."

I felt my smile growing wider. I _definitely_ approved of that nickname.

"A'ight, enough with the cluckin', it's gettin' late and I still gotta drive this one's scrawny little ass back to the Church for Dex. You better high tail it outta here before the cops show up," Gat ordered while I glared childishly at him when he described me as scrawny _again_. It may be true, but that didn't mean I _wanted_ to be called that!

"Will do. See ya 'round, Princess," Playboy pat my shoulder as he passed, following after the other two guys who were waving their goodbye.

I half wanted to run back to my apartment and collapse after such an action packed day, but I could tell by the look on Troy's face my day wasn't quite done yet. I breathed in deep, looking expectantly at Troy so he could speak.

 _Alright, what else has today got for me?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Well that got really bloody. Sorry for the absence, thunderstorms have been going bonkers here and knocked out the power a couple times and left wifi iffy, along with family stuff. But hey, Pixie's making friends! Sort of._

 _Guest: Haha I couldn't resist posting it early!_

 _HPfanboy31800: Hey, nice to see you still around! I'm so glad you like Blondie/Pixie and are enjoying the story! I might just take you up on that offer, I've played the SR games TONS of times and love them to death._

 _Happy writing to all! Lonessa out._


	7. P1: New Look

_Terribly sorry for the delay, I recently moved into college and things have been overwhelming. I hope you enjoy this chapter, not much action but more introspection on Blondie's part!_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

There are nights where I get to go home and relax with Daniella, invite Maya and the rest of the girls over, and just watch movies while spooning Daniella's famous chicken noodle soup into my gullet. I personally love those nights, and I love watching Daniella and Maya bicker like an old married couple before Freckles or Ice (another girl I saved) swoops in and breaks them up through either a reasonable speech (Freckles did that all the time and somehow she got them to listen) or a prolonged ass kicking (I call her Ice for a reason, since she's a cold bitch that I can't help but respect).

But admittedly, those nights don't come often. Case and point: tonight. Tonight, after bloodying myself up with Roller blood thanks to my new melee weapon of choice, I had to park myself on the docks as I washed the blood out of my boots just so I could get in Gat's car without staining the seats.

"Holy fuck Blondie, how much blood can these things absorb?" Troy exclaimed as he dipped my leggings into the bay water for the fifth time that night.

Oh, did I not mention I was pantsless?

I managed to convince Gat that a bloody shirt wouldn't be a problem since I could just lean forward and not actually _touch_ the seat, but I couldn't find a reasonable way to avoid trying to clean my pants in this fashion. Basic summarization: I didn't have a jacket to sit on, Gat wouldn't give me his, and I was shit outta luck.

Not that I really minded though. Maybe it's just the way my brain worked, but I never had a problem with people seeing my body. I mean, we all look the same more or less underneath, so what's there to be shy about?

…well, now that I think about it, I would kill a motherfucker that tried to undo my scarf to get a look at my neck, but hey, everyone's gotta have exceptions right?

Besides, it's not like I was wearing anything skimpy. Quite opposite, actually. I always wore black boy shorts underneath my leggings specifically so my underwear wouldn't show through the thin material, and they looked basically like compression shorts, so it's no big in my book.

After dunking my boots one more time and banging them on the side of the docks to rid them of excess water, I pulled them on and stood, stomping for good measure. I looked over to Troy, who was still desperately trying to squeeze the blood out of my leggings, and shook my head helplessly at him.

I walked over, typing a message in my phone before touching his shoulder with my fingertips. He didn't turn around (earlier he whipped his head in the other direction when I began pulling off my leggings while Gat didn't really give a fuck) but he acknowledged me. "What is it?"

 _{Even if you get the blood out I'll just be in waterlogged pants. I'll just go like this}_

"Uh… in _that_?"

I nodded nonchalantly, swiping my leggings from his hands in his surprise. As I walked up the wood stairs to the parking lot where Gat was waiting I squeezed as much water out as I could, shaking them out so they wouldn't stain the _Venom_ too much and Gat wouldn't get pissy at me. Troy came running after me, sucking heavily on his cigarette as he very noticeably kept his eyes upward. _A gentleman would be like that I suppose. Then again, gangster and gentleman don't really mix well… wonder how Troy balances that shit._

"You're going back to the Church just in that, where all the guys that've been eyeing you like a _hawk_ can just wait until one of us leaves you alone?"

I blinked, stopping at the top of the steps as I processed that bit of information. Eyeing me… the hell does that mean? Does he… _oh_.

Safe to say that when talking about anything romance-y or, er, _lusty_ I guess, I'm either clueless or don't know anything about it… or both. Yeah, definitely both, hence why I didn't get why Gat and Aisha were fighting until she asked about him with that specific tone.

I typed in my phone again. _{But Hammer and the rest didn't look at me like that}_

"Well you earned their respect today. Lotta guys in this sorta business—" Troy scrunched his face up at the word _business_ , but I get why he said it. There really wasn't another word for this sort of lifestyle beyond… well, _lifestyle._ "Don't really like it if a chick is higher up than them, and you, you're climbin' your way up fast."

In reality, I probably shouldn't have been surprised at that tidbit of information. I suppose this whole 'joining a gang for the hell of it and finding good friends' thing did have its rocky spots, after all, it couldn't be _this_ simple.

But Troy's words, although not meant to be encouraging or discouraging, ignited a spark within. I needed to keep pushing, needed to show the rest of the Saints that I deserved the respect that my… _position_ , which I suppose is the right hand of the lieutenants? Or… I guess I've become the attack dog for the Saints. Kinda like that Victor guy for the Carnales, only smaller and feminine… and I also don't know if I can survive a dozen drive by shootings… okay so maybe I'm not quite like Victor.

Eh, my days as a gangster are young. Who the hell knows… I just went on a tangent didn't I?

I didn't really have anything to say to Troy, too caught up in my thoughts to really think of a reply. I dragged my now clean scythe along with me as Troy cupped my elbow and lead me to Gat's car, flicking cigarette ash to the side.

"Yo Johnny, I can't get the blood outta her clothes, got anything that she can wear?" Troy asked as we came into earshot, and I rolled my eyes as I glared half-heartedly at him.

One way to send a message to the lower Saints is to kick their asses while in my undies. I was _perfectly_ content in doing that.

"Does it look like I carry spares in my trunk?" Gat rebuked.

"Chill man, I just thought maybe with Aisha you'd have—"

Gat shook his head. "Eesh has longer legs than Tiny Tink—"

 _:FUCK OFF:_

"—and I'm assuming that wasn't a nice thing you just signed, but imma let it slide this time," Gat said swiftly before resuming his original thought. "She'd be tripping over herself."

"Well Blondie is adamant in not putting her leggings back on thanks to the bay water and we can't exactly roll up to the Church with this one just in her unmentionables."

I felt a growl rumble in my throat. _Jesus, if it's such a big deal that I'm in my unmentionables as you call it why the fuck do you keep_ _ **mentioning**_ _them?_

…yeah I think I have anger issues. At the same time though, I don't really project said anger unless some guys toting different flags were around, so maybe that's a good thing in a way?

Gat sighed, wrenching the car door open and shrugging his jacket off. "A'ight, I got an idea. Pixie, get in and cover yourself up; we goin' on a little trip."

I instinctively caught the purple jacket, frowning softly before stepping into the car and settling the jacket over my lap. The thing was big enough that it looked like I was wearing a damn skirt since it pooled around me and covered part of my legs. Soon enough Gat and Troy were on either side of me, and I had to settle for being a human sandwich while Gat drove us to this mysterious destination he thought up.

Nothing like cruising the streets with the full moon out while just in your undies and a torn up tank top… that's a saying, right?

…

…

…

"Aw, c'mon girl, you'll look _cute!_ "

I eyed the outfit Aisha was holding out to me with a wary look, feeling really out of place in the huge walk in closet. Gat's great idea was to drive over to Aisha's place and shove me in the front door, bellowing a hello to Aisha. The woman ended up storming down the stairs and ready to yell at him before stopping short at seeing me, clad in bloody clothes, soggy boots, and bare legs.

She ended up smacking Gat once she found out he was partially the reason why my pants were off, and to see him get bitch slapped? Totally worth the drive.

Only now, I was starting to feel a little bit like a dress up doll. I had some peace when I hopped in the shower and washed the blood out of my hair, but now Aisha is pestering me over what type of _outfit_ I should wear. Worse off, she was currently showing me _a skirt._

 _:Listen, while I admit I'm a bit girly at times, I refuse to wear a skirt:_

"Hun, none'a my pants will fit you, but skirts will. You don't have a choice."

 _:I'll just roll up the pant legs, what's the big deal?:_

"Seriously?" Aisha rolled her eyes. "Girl, there's gang bangin', and there's looking _good_ while gang bangin'. And yeah, you looked good in that old outfit, but it's the _spring._ You can't run around in those leggings all the time."

I made a pained expression. _:You're not going to let this go are you?:_

She smirked. I stomped my foot childishly before grabbing the outfit, moving to the privacy curtain to change. Yeah, she had a _huge_ closet.

"I knew you'd see it my way." _Smug little—_

Her warm chuckle quelled any anger I felt. Aisha was such a nice person, and she genuinely cared about me. I mean, I know others like Daniella cared, but Aisha barely knew me, and it's almost like she was… mothering me in a way. It was weird, but it was a good kind of weird.

So I sucked it up and pulled on the ruffle-y skirt, grumbling as I did so. It didn't look _bad_ per say… Aisha knew style. I'm just not a skirt person. Or- or a ruffle person, and this skirt was both of those things.

I put on the rest of the outfit, wobbling a little as I had to stand on one heel to pull the other shoe on, and then turned to look at the mirror just to the left.

I cocked my head as I took in the smooth black fabric of the top I shrugged on, noting that it was a little baggy but it looked natural in a way that made me believe that's how it's designed. It was sleeveless, and the thick straps were tied on each shoulder with cute little purple bows. I frowned a bit at the skirt that brushed against my knees, Saints purple ruffles outlined by a lilac seam, and rolled an ankle to get a good look at the black ankle boots with a golden zipper and lilac soles. No matter what Aisha said to me, I refused to take off my bloodied scarf, so it stayed.

I didn't want to admit it… but I liked the look. It was kinda like a time warp, because I hadn't really worn anything this fancy in years, and I haven't worn a _skirt_ for longer, so I guess the memories were just souring my view on it.

The thought of memories had me frowning, thinking of my time over the seas, either bored out of my mind or being instructed what to do. Then it was trying to learn sign, trying to stop myself from speaking automatically because it _hurt,_ and then learning some more languages because fuck it. I cast down my eyes at the thought.

The moment you lose your voice is the moment you realize how it feels when met with language barriers. It feels worse than normal probably, because if two people _speak_ different languages they can work with each other to figure out what they're trying to say. But to know a language and suddenly be torn from ever speaking it again, left to struggle to communicate with the people you used to laugh with before? That's heartbreaking. And it's terrifying.

I furrowed my brows when I realized I was wallowing in the past. I haven't done that… haven't done that in a _while._ Haven't thought about any of it really, just mulled over the necessities so I could stay one step ahead. _Follow you like a shadow._

I shuddered.

"You ready yet, girl?" Aisha called impatiently. "C'mon, I wanna see you!"

Aisha brought me to the present, and I stepped out into view so she could take a look at me. She began fussing over me, grinning as she made tiny adjustments to how the clothes fit on me. I kinda zoned out while she did, thinking some more. Maybe here, I could make some better memories. Here, I didn't have people telling me how to stand or what to say. People here… they treat me like I'm human. They treat me in their own way, a uniqueness to all my new friendships. Troy was the overprotective friend, calling in often to check where I was and to help out in getting the gangs off my back. Dex was more of a supporter, floating around and letting me get things done my way. He would outline a plan and I would roll with it, putting my own spice into it. Lin was a teacher, showing me the ropes, pointing out what signs to look for in certain situations, how to avoid messy situations. Gat… I don't know if it's right to call him a friend just yet, but I'd call him a vitriolic one, with us always trying to one up each other in the ever old conversational battle.

Then… Julius.

I don't really know what to call him either. He's our leader, but to me he stands for more. Maybe it's just my growing want for his praise, but to me he stands for something bigger than just being a leader. He's like a mentor, only he doesn't teach the things Lin does, he teaches _patience._ He teaches tacticality. He's like a Father guarding over his Saints, a guardian to his own and unrelenting to those against him.

Not _that's_ fucking poetic.

" _Perfect_." Aisha grinned, guiding me out of the walk in and towards the front where Troy and Gat were waiting. "I know you don't like the skirt, but you look good in it. Just try not to get blood on it, okay?"

I nodded distractedly, still musing. It's weird to think it… I've been here about a month and a half now, and I have no desire to leave. The other cities I've been to were cookie cutter, where the people are venomous and the bustling streets felt like the dead walking, but here there was a teeming of life that drew me in like a moth to a flame.

What worried me was the off chance I'd be tracked down again to this town I've grown so attached to so quickly. I always am eventually… and I always run.

"Well well well… looks like Eesh got herself a new doll to dress up," Gat's voice purred as he stood, smirking lazily as he peered down at me. I had the sneaking suspicion he was looking me up and down behind his glasses.

"Watch yourself, boy," Aisha snapped sternly, though her face was still soft when she looked at him. "Nuthin' wrong in helping a fellow sister look good."

"You do realize she's probably gonna be killin' shit in about twenty minutes."

"And _that's_ why I'm making it your job to make sure this little miss doesn't get shot at or get blood sprayed on her nice new outfit," Aisha shot back with a smug look. I watched the scene like it was a tennis match.

"I ain't fuckin' babysittin'—"

Aisha completely ignored him. "I'm gonna be checking her over for bloodstains once you bring her back here after whatever you two gotta do."

" _C'mon Eesh_ —"

"Hey, we need t'get back to the Church before Dex flips his lid, so let's just go. Aisha, Blondie ain't gonna get hurt, I promise," Troy tried to appease them both, cigarette still hanging from his lips. I smiled as they bickered still.

 _Yeah… maybe I'll fight for this place. Maybe I won't leave this time._

The prospect scared me a little… but I suppose breaking pattern does that. But I won't run this time. I just pray that I don't end up regretting it. After all, people who use the saying always forget what happens after a moth is attracted to the light.

It gets burned.

...

...

...

 _Terribly sorry again! Hopefully I can find a balance between classes and writing so the update gap won't be this long!_

 _Hpfanboy31800: Thank you very much, I've always secretly loved the idea of the Boss with this wicked weapon and scythe was the first thing to pop into my mind! Haha I always make sure I respond to my reviewers, it always makes my day to see someone is enjoying my work!_

 _Guest: Oh yay! Glad you enjoyed Blondie's murder spree XD_

 _Happy writing to all! Lonessa out~_


End file.
